Lorna Wass' life has revolved around children. First, she was a social worker in the field of child welfare, then she raised her own three children, and last year was her 23rd as a school volunteer.
So it's understandable to learn that Lorna has established four charitable gift annuities to benefit Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
A Florida native, Lorna met her husband, Marvin, at Florida State University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in social work and he earned a doctorate in marine science. In 1960, Marvin's career as a marine scientist landed the young couple in Gloucester, where they raised their children and became ingrained in the community.
After Marvin passed away in 1990, Lorna began traveling extensively. Today at 80, she recently made her 19th trip to the Galapagos Islands. She's also an avid reader, noting that her ever-growing book collection has spilled into every room of the home she's lived in for 48 years. That home is surrounded by a tree farm, "with 42 kinds of hardwood trees," she adds, and again her focus returns to children: "I hope to leave my home as a nature center for students."
Her own three children, Barry, Gerald and Teresa, have made Lorna a grandmother of five and great-grandmother of three. Even though Barry was her only child to require CHKD's services - a tonsillectomy - Lorna explains that she has always felt strongly about supporting the hospital.
"It's a remarkable place," she says. "You have such a wonderful reputation. What you do there is beyond comparison."