Pacific Clinics held a tree-planting ceremony to remember former board member Don McNeil, who passed on May 6, 2023. Don joined the board in 1975 when the agency was still known as Ming Quong. Throughout his 44 years of service as a board member, and during his term as board chair in 2013-2014, Don advocated passionately for child resources; especially youth in foster care.
“I like the agency’s philosophy. I admire the combination of the delivery of services with sound economics. I like that the agency checks to see if their services helped by following children after they left the agency’s care,” said Don in his outgoing remarks, after retiring from the board in 2019. “My service has been long, maybe obscenely so, but it has been a great privilege to be involved.”
To recognize his long-term commitment, Pacific Clinics planted a redwood tree in Don’s honor at the Los Gatos campus, where the Bay Area foster care program currently resides.
The ceremony was led by board member Roger Barney and CEO/President Kathy McCarthy and attended by Don’s sons and grandchildren, among others.
In recalling her time with Don, Kathy shares, “I had the privilege of knowing Don in the legal community for nearly 40 years and valued his candor and compassion. His spirit of service will live on through his commitment to youth in our community. The redwood tree will be a wonderful way to remember Don’s contribution well beyond the tenure of those who serve the agency today.”
Roger adds, “Don’s legacy lives on in the countless hearts he touched, and he will forever be remembered and deeply missed.”
