Kirk, a member first of Newtown and later Solebury Friends Meeting, passed in January 2019. From his earliest days, he carried a guiding belief that “education is the way out of poverty” and that literacy was a civil rights imperative. His global career in engineering and design did not limit his local impact. For 44 years, he served on the board of Mercer Street Friends, fought for better schools in Trenton, supported three charter school boards, volunteered through the NAACP and local civic associations, and worked tirelessly for Foundation Academy.

John Spears chose to launch PYM’s Legacy Fund in Kirk’s honor because his relentless, quiet leadership and joyful spirit drew others into action. “Kirk just worked and worked away at it,” John shared, recalling thousands of hours Kirk devoted to meetings with mayors, principals, tutors, and legislators, always with a moral compass pointing to what was best for students. Colleagues remembered him as “the perfect Quaker and volunteer. He cared, he listened, he showed up and he focused on getting things done.”

This inaugural legacy gift plants the seeds of Kirk’s vision in perpetuity: it supports PYM’s Legacy Fund, investing for sustained annual income, and ensuring that his story of faithful service, equity, and education will continue to inspire Friends and fuel programs that lift communities forward.

Irene overcame adversity to pursue a 38 year career teaching music in Pennsylvania’s public schools. She served as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and championed equity, encouraging students of all backgrounds to find their voice through the arts.

Married and raising two sons, Irene carried forward Quaker values of recognizing “that of God in every One,” though she was not formally a Friend. In her son’s words, the gift honors both her remarkable life and the “extraordinary unknown volunteers and charitable work” of the Children’s Aid Society, whose early support shaped her future. Chosen intentionally on Christmas, her parents’ wedding anniversary, the gift extends Irene’s legacy, nurturing future generations of children, and supporting the Faith she so deeply inspired.

Read Irene’s full story in this news article!

Amy and her family endured the hardships of wartime displacement—opting to work farms in Utah rather than live in internment camps—and later lost both brothers to military service in World War II. After marrying Ernie Kurkjian, whom she met through Civilian Public Service, Amy found her spiritual home in Philadelphia, first with Central Philadelphia Meeting, then through decades of steady ministry and work at PYM.

Known to many as the friendly crafter due to her frequent knitting and sewing quilt squares during Sessions and lending a hand in the PYM office, Amy brought creativity, generosity, and practical care to everything she touched. Her lifelong independence and spirit of service carried through to the very end: Amy planned a Charitable Gift Annuity, and after her passing in 2020, her estate followed through on her wishes in 2021. Her gifts have supported membership development grants, the Legacy Fund, an unrestricted endowment, local Quaker meetings, family members, hunger-focused nonprofits worldwide, and a South Philadelphia senior center she used to frequent.

Amy’s quiet dedication, fierce independence, and thoughtful remembrance lives on in the fabric of our community. Her gifts, born from a life woven into the fabric of PYM, are a testament to values she held dear and a living encouragement for us all.

Read Irene’s full story in this news article!

A beloved teacher, administrator, and coach at Moorestown Friends School, Sandy was known for his creative spirit and dedication to experiential learning. His innovative programs, like City Project and Intensive Learning, took students beyond the classroom and into the world, embodying his commitment to education, exploration, and connection.

Sandy’s love for community extended far beyond school walls. He served faithfully on committees for Moorestown Monthly Meeting, contributed to the Moorestown Public School Board, and supported Camp Dark Waters. He and his beloved wife, Sue, built a life grounded in books, travel, family, and the Quaker values that guided them every step of the way. In remembering Philadelphia Yearly Meeting through his planned giving, Sandy’s legacy of thoughtful stewardship and care for Friends will continue to shape and support the vibrant Quaker community he treasured so deeply.

Family, Friends, and generations of students hold Sandy’s memory close. His life was one of thoughtful integrity, joyful adventure, and loving service, a legacy that will ripple forward for many years to come.

Molly was devoted to caring for her family, her community, and her spiritual home within the Religious Society of Friends. An artist at heart, she gifted beautiful handmade pieces to loved ones, brightening countless lives with her needlework, watercolors, and origami, not to mention the many puns she shared with her trademark laughter.

Molly’s care, generosity, and Quaker legacy extend beyond her lifetime through a planned gift to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. By remembering PYM in her estate plans, Molly’s commitment to Friends’ values and community continues to nurture the spiritual life of Meetings like Moorestown Friends Meeting for generations to come. Her family, friends, and the extended Quaker community hold her memory and her final act of giving as a tender reminder that even the smallest, most thoughtful gestures can ripple forward in love.

A graduate of Moorestown High School, Robert served in the US Army during World War II before pursuing his medical education, culminating in an MD from the University of Pennsylvania. He spent decades practicing family medicine, building trusting relationships with generations of patients in Chester, PA, and Burlington County, NJ.

Robert’s life reflected his Quaker faith — steady, thoughtful, and rooted in community. He loved sailing, swimming, and crafts, and found fellowship and spiritual grounding with Friends at Westfield Friends Meeting. In his passing, Dr. Heal continued his lifelong commitment to serving others through a planned gift to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. His final act of generosity supports the spiritual vitality of Meetings like Westfield and sustains the Quaker community he cared for so deeply.

His family and Friends hold his memory as a testament to a life lived with compassion, humility, and enduring love.