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A Supportive Spirit

November 5, 2024 by jlaiacon Leave a Comment

Leda Maria Giatti ’51 from The Battlefield Yearbook
Leda Maria Giatti ’51 from The Battlefield Yearbook

Throughout her life, Leda Maria Giatti ’51 gave back to her community. After graduating from Mary Washington and Columbia University, she taught science and served as a guidance counselor and cheerleading coach near the Bronx, New York. Leda brought her “rah-rah spirit” to everything she did, from supporting the New York City Ballet and Metropolitan Opera to raising funds for the LGBTQ+ community, including during the AIDS epidemic.

Leda, who passed away on Oct. 20, 2020, made Mary Washington the beneficiary of her retirement plan. Her gift will help UMW students carry on her spirit of generosity, giving back in Fredericksburg and throughout their own communities.

Visit umwheritage.org to learn more about beneficiary designation gifts.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 for the Gift Planning Connections newsletter, Fall 2024

Filed Under: Gifts at Work, Giving Stories

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