Fern and Russell F. de Greeff Park

Fern and Russell F. de Greeff Park. . , Fern de Greeff described it as love at first sight when she met her husband, Russell, in 1933. Both had similar upbringings in south St. Louis. On their third date, Rus proposed to Fern, and a year later they were married, marking the start of a happy and prosperous life they shared for almost 64 years., Trained as an architect in St. Louis during the late 1920s, Rus was fortunate to find employment with Sears Roebuck when the Great Depression changed his career plans. Sears Roebuck started to open retail stores, so Rus applied for a job. Rus was hired to work in the hardware department because he learned the trade working in his father's hardware store. He advanced through the company, holding a variety of managerial positions in stores around St. Louis. , At age 35, Rus was drafted into military service. During basic training he contracted pneumonia, which kept him at Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wyo., for the remainder of World War II. Fern joined him in Wyoming and served as a counselor to civilian employees. Upon discharge from military service, Rus and Fern returned to south St. Louis County. Rus became manager of the East St. Louis Sears store, and they settled on a home with 10 acres, raised horses and added to their antique carriage collection., Following his retirement from Sears, Rus and Fern resolved to use their blessings to enrich the lives of others. At age 90, Rus was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He was placed in the hospice program at St. Anthony's Medical Center. Fern learned that the hospital was planning a free-standing hospice, which required donor support to complete. , "This could be the legacy that Rus and I desired," she thought. Rus agreed. St. Anthony's de Greeff Hospice House was named for them in recognition of their generosity and has earned an outstanding reputation. , Fern and Rus first came to know Saint Louis University through their friendship with SLU alumni Joe and Joan Lipic. At a holiday celebration, the de Greeffs met Paul Reinert, S.J., who first updated them on the beautification of the SLU campus and the surrounding area. Following the deaths of Rus and Father Reinert, Fern continued her association with Saint Louis University through Denis Daly, S.J. As planning for the Edward A. Doisy Research Center at SLU's Medical Center commenced, Fern learned of the project through Father Daly. She liked that a portion of the center's nine-acre grounds would be developed as a park. Hoping to further their legacy, Fern made a planned gift that created the Fern and Russell F. de Greeff Park at the SLU Medical Center., "I feel like Alice in Wonderland," Fern said upon completion of her gift. "Rus and I are privileged to have a special place named for us in the midst of Saint Louis University's expansion. The de Greeff Park will be a place of beauty. If you happen to pass by the park in the fall, and it is ablaze with color, think of me. I have had a lifetime love affair with nature and red maple trees." , Fern passed away on Jan. 10, 2010, at the age of 100.