Two Generations of Giving

Scheifly Siblings Continue to Support PIH Health Scholarships

The Scheifly Siblings

“We’re proud and happy to continue supporting PIH Health through these education scholarships and we also support the Patricia L. Scheifly Breast Health Center in loving memory of our mom, who was a breast cancer survivor and a strong advocate for women’s health.” 

It started as a gift to support nursing education—and it remains the same to this day. Years after the passing of their parents, Jack Scheifly and Jan Sprague continue to support a cause that was deeply loved by their parents, John and Patricia Scheifly, furthering the Scheifly legacy of support for PIH Health. 

John was an attorney and had a very special client by the name of Penelope Wilcox who expressed her desire to include John in her will as an expression of her sincere gratitude for so many years of dedicated service. John Scheifly, being the man that he was, thanked Mrs. Wilcox for her kind gesture but told her that he simply could not accept such a gift. Recognizing the tremendous value of nurses— and seeking to help PIH Health employees advance in their careers—John suggested the funds be used to establish the Scheifly Nursing Scholarships at PIH Health. At the time, John and Patricia Scheifly had been actively serving PIH Health for years, with John serving on the PIH Health Hospital Board and Patricia serving on the PIH Health Foundation Board.

The Wilcox Foundation continued to fund the Scheifly scholarships after John Scheifly passed away in 1999. When Penelope Wilcox passed away several years later, the Wilcox Foundation ended and funding stopped. At that point, Patricia Scheifly personally funded the Nursing Scholarships until  she passed away in 2012. That’s when John and Patricia’s  two adult children—Jan and Jack—decided to fund the  Scheifly Scholarships.

“It started as a generous gift to our parents; and they continued supporting it as a gift to PIH Health employees,  and now my brother and I have picked up the baton to continue the tradition of helping nursing students get ahead  in their education,” said Jan Sprague, who lives with her  family in Brea. “Because Jack and I each donate the same amount our mom was funding by herself, the value of the scholarships has doubled, which is helpful considering the increased cost of education today.”

The Scheifly Scholarships are one-time, lump-sum cash awards given to five current PIH Health employees who want to pursue and advance their education in nursing. Funds can be spent at the scholarship recipient’s discretion—put toward tuition, books or even medical equipment, like stethoscopes.

“We’re proud and happy to continue supporting PIH Health through these education scholarships and we also support the Patricia L. Scheifly Breast Health Center in loving memory of our mom, who was a breast cancer survivor and a strong advocate for women’s health,” said Jack Scheifly, a pilot living in San Jose, California. “Excellent nurses are so important—so we know these scholarships are supporting a very good cause.”

“PIH Health Foundation is extremely grateful for the continued support and generosity of the Scheifly family, which in turn, benefits all those who come to PIH Health for care,” said Amy Fitzgerald, vice president, PIH Health Foundation. “This is a powerful example of one family’s commitment to PIH Health, and how that legacy can positively benefit so many others.”

If you’d like to make a donation to PIH Health Foundation to support continuing education or an area that is important to you, please call 562.698.0811 Ext. 81520 or email PIHHealthFoundation@PIHHealth.org.