Living Legacy
Service. It's performed in so many ways for so many reasons--from holding the door for a stranger to defending one's country. Whatever the act, in all its forms, service has in common the desire to give for the benefit of another.
Service has been a theme in the Althoff family for generations, and now David L. and P.J. Althoff have ensured that it will be a benefit for patients of Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center for generations to come.
After years of volunteering for Chandler Regional, David and P.J. have also become part of the CHW Foundation - East Valley's Living Legacy program. The program allows people with the vision to invest in life-saving equipment, services, and education to establish will bequests or testamentary designations--a generous act that for the Althoff's, and many others, is of great importance.
Following in his father's footsteps, David became a board member of the hospital's Foundation in 1973. Both of David's parents were involved in fundraising and helping to build the initial hospital.
When David retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1972, his father was ready to retire from the Board and suggested David take on the task, which he did in the Board's next election.
David continued to serve on the Board until 1999 when he was granted Director Emeritus status. During his 26 years on the Board, including being Chairman for nine, David thoroughly enjoyed the work, the people, and the dedication of those he worked with to build a new hospital that could accommodate the rapidly growing population.
"We saw the town was growing and we knew we needed to do something," David said.
Using his experience as a real estate broker, David was instrumental in negotiating the new location with the City and selecting a company to build it. For him, it was almost a full-time job, working with the contractors on a daily basis until the doors opened. P.J. was among the entourage that made the walk from the old hospital to the new one and was the last to enter the building as everyone applauded. "We both felt like it was our hospital," P.J. said.
She began volunteering at the gift shop, but soon moved to the information desk where she worked for over 15 years, until her death in August 2008.
P.J. donated 15,000 hours of volunteering. For years, she hand-sewed stuffed animals that were distributed to thousands of children who were admitted to the ER or for surgery.
Despite both growing up in Illinois, David and P.J. didn't meet until 1950 at Arizona State University. David was pointed out to P.J. by a friend and she knew with that first look that he was the one for her. David smiles as he recalls liking what he saw, too. "She chased me until I caught her," he teases. They were married two years later.
The couple had five children who P.J. often raised single-handedly while David was off on military duty. His 20 years of active service included 1,080 combat missions in Vietnam. During his second tour to Vietnam, he received the 1968 "Marine Aviator of the Year" award. He has flown 26 different types of aircraft, earned 76 medals, and was shot down four times. He's been inducted to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame and the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.
