What Matters Most? Eleanor Sprankle Shared Her Deepest Values Through a Thoughtful Estate Gift

A well-crafted estate plan does more than distribute assets. It tells the story of what matters most. To Eleanor Sprankle, what mattered most was leaving a legacy that reflected the priorities her late husband Bob and she shared.

In a letter from Eleanor’s niece, Mary Sprankle Scavilla, to Catholic Charities after Eleanor’s death last July, Mary emphasized her aunt and uncle’s consistent faithfulness, thoughtfulness, and thankfulness.

Mary writes, “Both she and Uncle Bob had entered the religious life after high school, she as a School Sister of Notre Dame (Sister Raymond) and he as a Xaverian Brother (Brother Verne). Their respective orders provided them with a university education and assigned them to various teaching positions in Maryland and elsewhere. In the fall of 1969 and January 1970 respectively, Eleanor and Bob were assigned to teach in Bolivia. While there, they met through a mutual friend.” Mary goes on to describe the close friendship the couple developed—and their eventual realization that they had to make a critical choice.

“Uncle Bob proposed, they both received dispensations to come out of their orders, and they married in December 1971. They had nothing really to start their new life together, but they worked hard as teachers in the Baltimore County Public School System. Aunt Eleanor was a high school math teacher; Uncle Bob taught biology and earned a second master’s so he could change over to working as a guidance counselor. They didn’t make much money, but that didn’t stop them. They were amazing together—adventurous, giving, curious, hard-working, yet focused on the basic, simple things of life: their faith, family, and giving to others.”

After Bob died in 2009, Mary began conversations with Eleanor about finances. “We had many discussions about what she wanted to do with her assets when she passed away. I remembered that both of them had volunteered at the Spanish Apostolate many years ago teaching English to the Latino community,” Mary writes. “When I suggested adding The Esperanza Center, she was very happy to add the Center to the short list of charities she wanted to donate to.”

Eleanor left a generous gift from her IRA to The Esperanza Center, a comprehensive Catholic Charities program that welcomes immigrants to the Baltimore area by offering hope, compassionate services, and the power to improve their lives. Since 1963, immigrants from all over the world have trusted the Center to help them navigate life in a new community. Our dedicated staff and volunteers provide services related to education, health care, immigration legal matters, family reunification, and general community support to thousands of immigrants each year.