Letter 15 - She Retired After 67 Years - And Left $1,000,000!

Hello Bregdan Woman,

You have Ginny today…

What a joy to write about another teacher.  Every teacher is special, but in a world of crowded classrooms, underfunded schools, and underpaid teachers, there are bright shining lights that leave an astounding legacy.

The year was 1951.  America was in turmoil – recovering from World War II and grappling with civil rights. 

It’s also the year that Lillian Orlich became a high school history teacher.  She became known as “Ms. O”.

From the very beginning, she was determined to give her all to her students.  For decades she was the first person to arrive at the school – usually by 3:00 AM.  She wanted to get all the paperwork out of the way so that she could focus on what was important – the students.

Eventually, they just gave her the keys to the school so she could open up!  She worked through the summers… she brought food to the staff every Monday. 

The school had become her family – her relatives.

She was passionate about history, but she was more passionate about the impact she could have on young lives.  She made it her mission to know everybody – yes, everybody.

She would talk to her students and roam the halls to interact with them, making sure they knew she cared about their life. She wanted the best for them, so she made sure they were on top of what they needed to do.

“What are your plans?”

“Did you get your applications in on time?

“Did you get your scholarship applications in on time?”

She did this for 67 years.

67 years! 

It’s hard for me to wrap my brain around that number.  40 years is considered a long career.  When she hit 65, she saw no reason to retire from what she loved to do with all her heart.

She saw no reason to stop making a difference in young people’s lives.  She never married, and she had no biological offspring, but she had countless children.

She probably didn’t want to retire at 89 either.  I’m certain it was a sad day for her when she had to turn in her key to the school and not be the first to arrive at 3:00 AM. 

She taught teenagers… she taught their parents… she taught their grandparents. 

What an astounding legacy! 

A legacy that didn’t end when she retired.  6 years later, when she died in 2024 at the age of 95, she gave her last gift.

$1,000,000.

She had always lived frugally but knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life savings.  The gift she gave was given to continue the work she had started when she retired.

The $1 million donation was paid to SPARK, the education foundation for the PW county schools. It will be used to expand a scholarship SHE set up with SPARK after retiring six years ago—which has already benefitted dozens of students who received cash grants for college – expanding her legacy.

The money will also be distributed across the foundation’s six focus areas, which include STEM education; social and emotional learning; digital innovation; school improvement; and particularly on educator preparedness, because Orlich was so passionate about teaching. 

I’m sure her greatest dream is that her gift will inspire others to be the kind of teacher she was.

She asked for this message to be included in her own obituary: "I am survived by the many lives helped and touched by my teaching, loving and caring."

It's a legacy that thousands will remember and honor for years to come.

What will your legacy be?  If you’re not satisfied with your answer, NOW is the time to start creating the legacy you want to leave.

As long as you’re still breathing, I believe you can continue to make a difference!

Please share this with others – igniting a passion for more women to be Bregdan Women – committed to leaving a legacy!

I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you about a woman who acted on the visions that haunted her…

What will you do today to impact history??

We’re on this journey with you…

(We have 2 FREE books for you below!)

Ginny & Suess