Since the 1940s, charitable giving has been an integral part of life for Ted Ockels, recipient of the Alta Bates Summit Foundation’s 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award. “Giving is a privilege, sometimes a struggle, but always worth it,” says Ockels, a retired CEO and a Lifetime Trustee of the Foundation.

Ockels’ family pastor inspired him as a teenager to set aside 10 to 15 percent of his income for charities, but he credits his wife, Rosemarie, for planning their affairs “so that we can share in this way. Together we managed to make giving a top priority.”

Ockels says he supports the Foundation because of the Medical Center’s vital role in the community. “I understand from my work on both the Foundation and Medical Center boards how important the Foundation is to the success of the Medical Center.”