Press Conference and News Release — May 10, 2023
St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation is pleased to announce a generous bequest from the late John Marshall Webber, a longtime Bangor resident and supporter of St. Joseph Healthcare.
The estate today is making a partial distribution of $9,000,000 to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and a partial distribution of $9,000,000 to St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation. At a date later this year or early next year, it is anticipated that several million dollars more from the estate will be distributed to these two hospitals and one other charity.
A native of Bangor, Maine, John Marshall Webber attended local schools and served with distinction on around the world assignments as a proud, and decorated, member of an elite division of the United States Marine Corps. Upon his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps John returned to his home state to matriculate at the University of Maine where he ultimately graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Art in 1970. In addition to his passionate interest in art, John was also a lifelong student and teacher of philosophy, an extraordinary investor, an animal lover, and a generous supporter of various charitable causes in his hometown and the surrounding region. John believed deeply in St. Joseph Healthcare’s mission to provide healing care for the whole person in service to all in our community.
“We are deeply grateful to Mr. Webber for his tremendous generosity,” said Mary Prybylo, RN, MSN, FACHE, President of St. Joseph Healthcare. “As a community hospital, we rely on the generosity of community members like Mr. Webber to continue to provide high quality, patient-centered, compassionate care to all in our community.”
For many years, Mr. Webber received his healthcare at St. Joseph Healthcare from David Koffman, MD. “It was a pleasure to care for John over many years, and I feel lucky to have gotten to know him so well as a person and patient. I was always impressed by John’s ability to keep his sense of humor no matter what he faced medically. I am grateful that he included St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation in his estate plans. His gift will profoundly impact our community for years to come,” said Koffman.
According to Prybylo, Mr. Webber’s request will support St. Joseph Healthcare’s ongoing efforts to provide patient-friendly healthcare services to the community through enhancements to its inpatient and surgical care facilities. “Mr. Webber’s gift represents a significant investment in the health and well-being of our patients, patient caregivers, our care delivery team members, and our community. St. Joseph Healthcare is committed to providing patient-friendly healthcare, including care designed to meet the unique physical, social, and emotional needs of aging adults,” said Prybylo. “Mr. Webber’s generosity will help transform our care environment for patients and staff in our inpatient and surgical care facilities through improved accessibility, comfort, technology, and more.”
According to Mr. Webber’s family, this gift to St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation represents a longstanding familial commitment to philanthropy, community investment, and civic duty: “It has in the past and will continue to be both in the present and into the future, a priority of the Webber family to support philanthropic causes and organizations in Bangor and across Maine. These efforts are near and dear to our family. The latest example is this bequest made by the late John Marshall Webber to St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation. John’s parents, G. Peirce and Florence Webber, instilled in our family a recognition that a community becomes stronger through the commitment of its citizens to providing financial support to charitable causes and organizations. John’s gifts to St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation will hopefully have a lasting positive impact in and around Bangor for years and generations.”
Upon his passing in October of 2022, Mr. Webber made substantial donations to several organizations in the greater Bangor region, including St. Joseph Healthcare. “John clearly cared about the well-being of people in the Bangor area. In his will, he left substantial gifts for Husson University, the University of Maine, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, and St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation,” said Brad Coffey, St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation President. “Through his will, John became one of the largest charitable contributors in our region’s recent history. I believe he will be remembered for generations for his stunning generosity.”
To learn more about St. Joseph Healthcare and its commitment to provide age-friendly, patient-centered care, please visit: stjosephbangor.org/about-us.