A Legacy of Generosity

George and Joyce Headford

For nearly 20 years the George and Joyce Headford Charitable Fund has been investing in the lives of children at both the Greenville and Cincinnati Shriners Hospitals. George was a Shriner for 50-plus years, first in Ohio and then in Roanoke, Virginia, where he and Joyce settled in the 1970s. They traveled the world together, as Joyce explained it: “I saw parts of the world that I never thought imaginable.” They lived life to its fullest and continue to give to the fullest, too. As a longtime Shriner, George witnessed the life-changing stories that Shriners Kids continue to share today. As they began giving back to the communities that had been a part of their lives, the decision to support the Greenville and Cincinnati hospitals was an easy one.

Following George’s passing in 2007, it was a very good friend of theirs that helped encourage the Charitable Funds continued investments in the Pediatric Orthotics and Prosthetics Services (POPS) department at the Greenville Shriners Hospital. “Our longtime friend and trusted adviser, Landon, became ill, and part of his healing and recovery resulted in an amputation and being fitted with a prosthetic leg,” said Joyce. Joyce saw the impact the state-of-the-art prosthetic was having on Landon and his family. When she decided to continue supporting the Greenville Shriners Hospital, she knew exactly what program she wanted to support. “I have heard and read the stories of children using their prosthetics and orthotics to master gymnastics, swimming, golf and playing the violin,” Joyce continued. Both the decision to give, and to which program to dedicate their support, were easy ones for Joyce.

George and Joyce used the blessings they experienced during their marriage and life together to invest in the lives of children. George and Joyce’s heritage continues today through their Charitable Fund, and is creating a legacy of healing in the children and families served by the Greenville Shriners Hospital and its POPS team.