From leadership skills gained in the military and his education, Bernie began his career as a manager in information technology in the insurance industry. Through his work, he met his life partner, Mary, who in her own right was a very successful manager of analysts and programmers. Together for nearly 50 years, they enjoyed traveling all over the world, collecting antiques and models, and playing golf. They enjoyed a long and healthy love, filled with activity and fun. 

When Mary was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), it was an abrupt and jarring transition. Through her battle with dementia, Bernie was her primary caregiver. It was a struggle coping with the changes in her clarity and personality, and her death. He found vital information and insight in dementia caregiver support groups, and also through hospice and grief support circles. Listening to other people’s experience with illness of the mind, caregiving, and death helped Bernie put the pieces back together. 

Bernie also wants to give credit to the truly personal and compassionate care he received from the professionals at Crews Bank & Trust in Charlotte County, particularly Angie Misner, Vice President & Trust Officer, and Sam Kiburz, Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer. Collectively, Bernie notes that the groups and caring professionals were critical for him to navigate challenges and care for Mary and himself during incredibly difficult times. 

Motivated by a desire to pay lasting tribute to Mary, Bernie realized that—through his life of hard work and applying the knowledge and experiences gained through his military service to achieve business success—he was in a position to make meaningful contributions that would honor her legacy and their lives together. Bernie chose to establish funds in the two communities that had been their homes for many years, through the local community foundations: the Adirondack Foundation (Bernie & Mary enjoyed summers in Lake George, NY) and the Charlotte Community Foundation.

The Mary V. Renois Fund for Veterans, Youth & Seniors at CCF is a new permanent endowment that will carry on Mary’s legacy to support nonprofits in these three areas. Bernie hopes that many others will join him in contributing to this fund and its broad goals for impact: 

Veterans: to assist those who served our country to transition from military to civilian life by providing support for comprehensive services that veterans and their families may need: from job training and placement, to assistance with basic needs such as food and shelter, to personal expenses and supplies. The primary objective is that veterans will be treated with dignity and respect for their service.

Seniors: to help retain and/or improve the quality of life for seniors in Charlotte County. While there is a preference for those who are most vulnerable, circumstances such as serving as a caretaker can disrupt the lives of all equally. Grants for local groups that provide counseling and support groups, particularly for those suffering from Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer’s and their families—throughout their lives and including hospice—should have preference.

Youth: to prioritize efforts that encourage young people to pursue training and educational programming for meaningful work and employment, such as learning a skilled trade. Providing for expenses such as tools and equipment that may not be covered by other tuition related scholarship assistance should be a preference. Related efforts, particularly for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, to access educational opportunities and to lead healthy and active lives, should also be considered. 

Bernie self-identifies as “lucky” with people helping him, caring for him, and connecting him to resources—even though leading a successful career followed a lifetime of hard work and determination, including military service, that overcame a disadvantaged childhood. As a way of expressing gratitude for a life of “luck,” Bernie hopes the Mary V. Renois Fund for Veterans, Youth & Seniors will provide support for others as they seek aid to better their lives through employment, enhanced care, education, and services.

Another organization also carries on the impact of Andes’ philanthropy—both the giving of her time and her finances: the Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic. “You’ll note that in our logo, the largest word is ‘volunteer.’ She insisted that word be very prominent,” notes M. Suzanne Roberts, chief executive officer of the Clinic, which serves the uninsured working poor.

“After I retired, my work was always volunteer,” explained Andes herself, a pioneering systems engineer, who enjoyed a 31-year IBM career followed by four decades of community service. “I realized I can help provide the means for people to be helped.” 

She retired in 1975 after years of traveling the U.S., automating clients’ accounting systems. Before moving to Port Charlotte, Andes volunteered for the University of Florida’s Extension Homemakers in Naples, teaching money management to women. Helping people to help themselves was her passion, and passing this ethos on to others made her a visionary. 

“Virginia B. Andes will be remembered not only as a savvy businesswoman who broke the glass ceiling for professional women in the 1940s and ’50s at IBM, but also as a visionary philanthropist who understood the power and impact of endowed gifts over time,” former CCF Board Chair Ron Olsen stated in a CCF press release at the time her bequest was publicized. “Her generosity and forethought will help redefine the way in which health, education and charitable nonprofits are supported in Charlotte County for decades to come,” Mr. Olsen said.

The bequest provided for three permanent endowed funds held at CCF and all named for Andes:  support for the Clinic’s operations; a named scholarship fund for local residents at least two years into a healthcare degree, undergraduate or graduate, who have financial need and who agree to volunteer at the Clinic or the Englewood Community Care Clinic; and a fund for grants to various charitable community organizations that advance and provide excellent health care in Charlotte County.

Then Clinic Board President Ryan Rupert summarized the lasting impact of Andes’ generosity in the 2016 news release: “To have the financial ability, strategic vision and selfless willingness to give as Virginia B. Andes did throughout her life is both rare and inspirational. Let Ms. Andes’ legacy be an example that encourages others in our community to embrace and celebrate the spirit of generous giving, as she did.”