Elaine Doll-Dunn, Ph.D
At age 40, she took up running. Since then, she has run more than 100 marathons, along with 60 miles non-stop across Panama...
Elaine Doll-Dunn, Ph.D., of Spearfish, South Dakota. lost her husband, Sam, in 1961 to cancer when she was 23. Following her loss, Doll-Dunn raised their four children on her own and managed the family ranch. She later remarried and had three more children. At age 40, she took up running. Since then, she has run more than 100 marathons, along with 60 miles non-stop across Panama to celebrate her 60th birthday. Doll-Dunn also is an author, motivational speaker and founder of the Leading Ladies marathon - a race designed specially for women. As a teacher, mother, speaker and friend, she enriches the lives of others on a daily basis. After losing her first husband, Doll-Dunn learned that she could overcome any challenge that was put in front of her or that she gave herself.
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Laurel Schwass-Drew
Schwass-Drew, working with the Gift of Life (GOL) donor program, saved at least three lives through organ donation...
Laurel Schwass-Drew, of Philadelphia, lost her husband, James, in 2001 to a brain aneurysm he unknowingly had since childhood. Before his death, James told his wife he wanted to donate his organs. Schwass-Drew, working with the Gift of Life (GOL) donor program, saved at least three lives through organ donation. The experience inspired her to become a GOL volunteer. Today, she speaks about her organ donation experience, serves as co-chair of GOL's annual poster contest and hosts memory box workshops. Her love for the arts also is evident in the workplace. Schwass-Drew is a teacher and sculptor at the University of the Arts. As she continues the process of building a new life for herself, she finds satisfaction in knowing that James' spirit lives on through their shared love of the arts.
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Grete Sorensen
Sorensen stilltakes care of children today. When she's not working, you can find her spending time with her children and grandchildren or practicing cello...
Grete Sorensen, of Walnut Creek, California, suddenly lost her husband, Eric, in 1989 to congestive heart failure when he was 60. At her husband's death, she realized that they didn't have life insurance policies and Eric's retirement plan was changed. Sorensen, a dancer, had to put her passion aside to gain financial stability. But her love for children made the transition easier. She converted her dance studio into a daycare center to provide for herself and her family. Sorensen still takes care of children today. When she's not working, you can find her spending time with her children and grandchildren or practicing cello. Sorensen now understands the importance of having a good financial plan in place.
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Amanda Thompson
She currently is working toward an Associates Degree in Accounting and plans to seek an additional degree in Business Management...
Amanda Thompson, of Brandon, Minnesota, lost her husband, Mike, in 2005 in a head-on collision. Thompson and her two young sons were left with debt and little means of financial support. To provide a better future for her sons, Thompson sold her home and moved closer to her family. After taking out a life insurance policy, Thompson enrolled in college because she knew she was now the sole provider for her two sons. She currently is working toward an Associates Degree in Accounting and plans to seek an additional degree in Business Management. Following Mike's death, Thompson realized that death is a part of life and it is important to be prepared for unexpected tragedies.
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Dening Wu Lohez
Lohez used money she collected from Jerome's life insurance policy to create an academic scholarship in his memory...
Dening Wu Lohez, of New York, lost her husband, Jerome, in 2001 when he was killed during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. After his death, Lohez used money she collected from Jerome's life insurance policy to create an academic scholarship in his memory. Lohez then graduated from Columbia University with a dual master's degree. Today, she is a financial consultant at a hedge fund. Lohez is championing her late husband's legacy by enriching the lives of younger generations through the scholarship and also as an undergraduate instructor at Pace University. The scholarship not only enables Jerome's spirit to live on, but helps fulfill the hopes and dreams of each year's recipient.
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