Driven to Give

While Tom and Kathy Palli are no longer cruising down New England roads in their classic car, the spirit of them lives on at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Kathy and Tom’s car collection included a 1968 Dodge Charger that was a gift from Tom’s mother when he was a teen. It carried them and their son, Ryan, on jaunts across New England. The region was home to Kathy and Tom, who liked to say they “started dating in the fourth grade.” The street where they grew up in Natick still has their initials carved in the sidewalk.

Kathy became a beloved history teacher in the Franklin schools and Tom a well-respected State Police Officer. They raised Ryan in Bellingham, coaching him in football and basketball.

Always a generous couple, Kathy and Tom continued that spirit when they arranged for their estate plan to include a bequest to UMass Memorial Medical Center. Said son Ryan, “My Dad and I were so grateful for the doctors and nurse practitioners who cared for him at the UMass Memorial Health Cancer Center and Transplant Center.”

Their donation is a wonderful tribute to the memory and generosity of Tom and Kathy Palli!