The Westminster Communities Foundation is honored to be the recipient of a generous estate gift from Mary Jane Tenny, an educator and long-time resident of Westminster Manor in Bradenton.
Tenny’s bequest to Westminster is worth $15,000 and will benefit the Manor Benevolent Assistance Fund to assist residents that outlive their resources. The Westminster Communities Foundation honors her generosity here at Westminster Manor in Bradenton, Florida.
Tenny moved to the Manor in 2013 and passed away in 2022. Originally from Michigan, she spent many years working in special education, a role which Manor Chaplain Holly Wildhack said remains a key to understanding Tenny’s deep care for those in need.
“When you teach in special education, you often develop a powerful devotion to those in need,” Wildhack said. “She spent her entire life thinking about those who needed compassion.”
Fellow Manor resident Sue Harden said she will always remember Mary Jane as a rare friend who, due to her experience teaching blind children, knew Braille.
Harden, who is blind, said it was a surprising connection to have with another resident. As to her place at the Manor, Harden said it was clear that Tenny, who had no immediate family, found an ideal home when she moved there.
“She thought of this place as her family and we were glad she came to be a part of us,” Harden said.
Though mostly quiet and reserved, Tenny is remembered for being intellectual and active in community life at the Manor, first as an independent resident and later in assisted living. She was a long-time member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and was among the last attending when it merged with Palma Sola Presbyterian, also in Bradenton. Tenny loved to support her community through her local giving, often memorializing her friends at their passing. Many other charitable organizations benefitted from her generosity before and after her passing.
“I was fortunate enough to get to know Mary Jane and witness first-hand her deep interest in blessing her neighbors, whether here at the Manor, at church, or even elsewhere in the world,” said Mark Reimers, Director of Philanthropy for Westminster Communities in Bradenton. “Her giving in life and death has left in important legacy and testimony to her love and compassion.”
There are tax advantages to giving life insurance policies, estate gifts and charitable gift annuities. Contact Mark Reimers, Director of Philanthropy, at mreimers@wservices.org or call 941-782-3271 to find out how you can leave a legacy at Westminster Communities in Bradenton.
