About Us

Generosity Across Generations

Parents may pass many things on to a child: hair color, a sense of humor, an aptitude for science. Mary Barbara Schultz, Reta Haynes, and Eda and Joe Pell — Honorary Co-Chairs of the Building Better Health campaign — have shared a passion for healthy communities with their children.

The Schultz family’s legacy began in 1946 when Niels Schultz, who developed Greenbrae with his father, helped select the site for a new hospital. Niels served on early hospital boards and, with his wife Mary Barbara, made many gifts. They passed their philanthropic spirit on to daughter Andrea, who joined the Foundation board in 2010. “There’s something special about being involved in a project from its beginning, and that was the start of the future MarinHealth,” says Andrea. “This new hospital is the greatest gift we can give our community.”

The Haynes family made Marin home when Bill and Reta Haynes moved here in 1962 from New Jersey. Philanthropy was a way of life for them and they chose to support their community hospital. They honored Bill’s longtime relationship with cardiologist Dr. David Sperling by founding the Haynes Cardiovascular Institute in 2009, shortly after Bill’s passing. Since then, former Foundation board member Sharon Early has enjoyed helping her mother Reta continue to make a difference. “I’ve lived in Marin for more than 50 years, and feel a strong desire to give back to the community that has given so much to me,” says Reta.

The Pell family also connected with the hospital through Dr. Sperling, Joe Pell’s physician. Surviving the Holocaust, immigrating to the United States, and achieving success in the Bay Area — Joe and his wife Eda felt blessed, and gave back through numerous gifts to MarinHealth. With their daughter, Karen, a former Foundation board member, the building campaign for a new hospital is a family priority. “We believe Marin deserves the best possible community hospital,” Karen says. “We are all very happy to be in a position to help make that happen.”