Giving is the Best Gift

Floyd left high school to join the Navy during WWII. Just before discharge, he met Shirley on a blind date. That first date led to a long, happy marriage.

During his career, Floyd worked as a mechanic and truck driver. As a result, he is happy that his truck never had to be towed in during his entire career. When there was trouble, he always found a way to get the truck in on its own.

Floyd and Shirley have been frugal but generous in helping many others along the way. When Floyd made a large, beautiful clock from a 200-year-old buckeye stump, he made three more to give away. The couple also recently gave Floyd's pickup to his pastor.

"I can't drive it much anymore anyhow," Floyd said modestly.

Floyd and Shirley both worked with church youth in their earlier days and became convinced that the best thing a young person could do was to get a good education at a Christian university. Floyd has been a Nazarene for 76 years. In 1973, when Point Loma Nazarene University (then Pasadena College) was moving from Pasadena, Floyd and Shirley donated toward the purchase of the new campus in San Diego.

Four years ago, when they learned about a charitable gift annuity offered by Point Loma Nazarene University, they thought it would be a good thing to do. Their fixed payment of seven percent, based on their age, provided a fixed income and a current tax deduction.

When recently asked if the income was helping them in their retirement, Floyd said, "The income is nice, but our real purpose was to help young people get a good Christian education. That is why we did it. And we are glad we did."