Music Professor Composes Perfect Gift to Centre

Among Barbara Hall's many talents is her ability to make beautiful music with people of varying aptitudes. She was a gifted music and humanities professor at Centre from 1980 until her retirement in 2015, but it was in her role as director of choral programs that Barbara put these talents to work the best.

Barbara welcomed students who had studied and performed music for years as well as those for whom choir was a new experience. The differences in abilities was no problem because Barbara could develop the talents of everyone and blend their voices together to create beautiful music.

Decades of her alumni can attest to the joy of singing under Barbara's leadership, as well as her boundless energy and enthusiasm. Barbara has brought that same talent for creating beauty to her philanthropy.

A longtime supporter of the College, Barbara recently leveraged some appreciated securities into a tax-advantaged charitable trust that provides a life income to her three siblings. They are receiving a generous annual payment from her trust and then Centre will receive the remainder.

Working with Centre's Office of Gift Planning, Barbara was able to transfer cash and appreciated stock without incurring capital gains tax, earn a charitable tax deduction and accomplish both estate planning and philanthropic goals in one plan. She created a win-win-win.

An additional win is at the heart of two aspects of Centre College most dear to her: its academic mission and its role in her marriage to Bill Breeze. Barbara had talked about charitable trusts on many occasions with her late husband and legendary Centre alumnus, Bill Breeze '45.

After retiring from his career in the life insurance industry, Bill created the gift planning program at Centre where he worked with countless alumni and friends to arrange their own plans. Barbara is grateful to have made her own plans with Centre at the focus, bringing together several great ideas to create a beautiful legacy.

Whether online or in the real world, we all leave a legacy. If you would like to learn more about ways you can include Centre College in your estate plan, please contact Steve Lownds ’81 at (859) 238-5522 or steven.lownds@centre.edu or Jamey Leahey ’92 at (859) 238-5224 or leahey@centre.edu to learn more about including us in your future plans.