Long-time Beach residents Jeff and Freda Rout were known for their kindness. It showed in the mittens Freda knitted for children in the neighbourhood, and in the couple’s generosity toward Toronto charities, including our hospital for many decades.
Some of Jeff and Freda’s donations came from sales of their handmade crafts. They also made careful plans to ensure that their community-minded generosity would continue beyond their lifetimes.
Jeff and Freda worked with their financial planner to set up the Jeff and Freda Rout Foundation using a donor-advised fund, a tool for charitable giving that can streamline donations and provide tax advantages. Through their foundation, they made annual gifts to our hospital and other causes.
Sadly, Jeff died in 2012, followed by Freda in 2019, leaving behind a wide circle of family and friends. In Freda’s obituary, she and Jeff were remembered as “two of the finest examples of what honest, hard working, humble people can bring to the world.”
Although Jeff and Freda are no longer with us, their legacy lives on. Their estates were added to their donor-advised fund, sustaining annual gifts to their chosen charities. In recognition of their generous support, the dining room in the Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit at Michael Garron Hospital is named in their honour. As a place where patients come together for shared meals and social gatherings, it is a wonderful tribute to their impact on local healthcare.
If you would like to learn more about donor-advised funds or ways to plan a gift to support our hospital, please contact one of our legacy giving managers: Yolanda Bronstein at 416-469-6580 ext. 2161 or Laura Byl at 416-469-6580 ext. 2322.
A gift in your will supports the health and well-being of everyone in our community for generations to come. Learn more about legacy giving.