Ray and Marie Ginther are everything Loyola stands for. Hardworking, successful, generous and leading a life in the service of others. 

Just four years after taking early retirement at age 54 from her career as a corporate comptroller, Marie Ginther (SCPS Alumna ’87) was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Despite her failing health, Marie's deeply imbibed Jesuit ideologies helped her commit to service projects in the neediest areas of Cairo, the Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Vietnam. Back home in New York City, she worked in a soup kitchen and as an end-of-life doula, comforting and advocating for the terminally ill.

In 2010, Marie received Loyola’s prestigious Damen Award for her leadership and service. She is now being honored again, as her husband has gifted $250,000 for the establishment of the Marie M. Ginther Endowed Scholarship at the SCPS. Loyola will match the endowment to create a $500,000 scholarship.

Ray says he and Marie know how difficult it can be to manage a job while struggling to get an education one or two classes at a time. It takes persistence and dedication, and it can be a financial challenge. But the SCPS makes it possible for students who are taking care of other responsibilities to complete their education.

“We would like to take some hardship away and help people realize their dream because we realized our dream,” he says. “I’m proud of Marie, and I hope her story can inspire others. Loyola is a special place. This kind of thing is possible.”