Pat and Carol West met in high school in Phoenix, Arizona, and attended the University of Arizona in Tucson. Pat earned a degree in finance, and Carol worked at a newspaper to make ends meet. They settled in Spokane in 1965 to raise their three children, and both have supported the nonprofit sector in significant ways since.
Pat is a founder of Innovia Foundation. Following the death of their 11-year-old son, Christopher, from Hodgkin’s disease in 1976, Carol helped start the Ronald McDonald House to assist families facing medical crises. “We also established two scholarships in Chris’s memory, one at Gonzaga and another at Gonzaga Prep,” said Carol. Since 1977, the scholarships have helped hundreds of students who strive to better their community.
Pat and Carol created a charitable remainder unitrust at Innovia in 2015 with highly appreciated securities. What started with a few hundred dollars now provides a $100,000 gift. The unitrust supplies the Wests with income for life, and any remaining funds at the end of their lifetimes will go to a designated endowed fund at Innovia to benefit their favorite charities in perpetuity.
