Legacy Gifts
Children 1st has an endowment fund at the Wichita Community Foundation.
To create a lasting legacy gift, please contact us for details.
In celebration of:
Alf Marrin, Bill Cook, & Francis Sullivan
Alf Marrin
Alf Marrin (1945-2020) contributed considerably to life on Planet Earth, including patches of the planet served by Children 1st.
After a tour in the US Navy, he obtained his Masters in Engineering at Auburn University and worked for several defense contractors as an aerospace engineer, including such top secret assignments no one could know where he worked, much less what he did. One accomplishment he could talk about was being a patent holder, inventing part of the B2 while working for Northrop-Grumman. He lived and worked in Florida, New Mexico, Los Angeles, Tucson, Detroit, and Burlington. Work with Beechcraft brought him to Wichita. A few years into retirement, never one to be idle, Alf sought a volunteer position. He landed at Children 1st where he assisted Kathleen Webb and the tiny initial staff with everything from creating the garden at St. Patrick’s to bringing a local opera performance to several of the schools served by Children 1st. With occasional help from his wife, Ilenya, he cheerfully chaperoned field trips, played a credible Santa Claus, and filled many other roles with a ready smile and uplifting word. A few days before his death, he received his Doctorate in Spiritual Science from Peace Theological Seminary and College of Philosophy. A child at heart, he loved God, his fellow man, and especially all the children.
Bill Cook
William "Bill" Cook, 61, Bel Aire, Kansas - Leadership Consultant, formerly Management at Spirit Aerosystems, died Saturday, September 17, 2022.
We celebrate the life of William "Bill" Cook who was a Human Resource Consultant and formerly worked in management at Spirit AeroSystems.
Francis (Frank) Joseph Sullivan
Francis Joseph Sullivan (Frank), born October 8, 1932, was a dedicated family man and public servant. Frank died on August 16, 2023 in Alexandria, Virginia.
Frank attended Boston Latin School and received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Boston College. His lifelong service to his country started with the U.S. Army, followed by work on the first use of military digital computers at Western Electric. Frank continued his public service with the U.S. Army Management Logistics Center, the Department of Defense and the United States Senate. He retired from Capitol Hill in 1989 after having served as Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and then the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. He then served as a member of the Executive Panel for the Chief of Naval Operations, the Defense Science Board, the Defense Practices Board, the Board of Directors of the Stennis Center for Public Service and was a Senior Fellow with the Center for Naval Analysis.