 Jean Hash
"Sweet baby animals." That is what Jean Hash kept repeating when asked why she loves Denver Zoo. Simple as that. Animals are her favorite "people," she says, so giving and innocent. A zoo member for over 20 years, Jean has become even more involved over the last few years, naming the zoo in her will and making wonderful donations supporting the veterinary hospital, in memory of jaguar Jorge, and to help build Toyota Elephant Passage. She is happy to fill a need at the zoo when she sees one. About a year ago, when visiting the zoo’s hospital and hearing of Dr. Kenny’s desire for a digital x-ray machine, Jean stepped in to help purchase this state-of-the-art equipment, and was excited that she could be a part of the fascinating work of our zoo vets.
Jean plans to get more involved with the zoo in the near future by becoming a volunteer. The new Lorikeet Adventure exhibit is where she is hoping to volunteer her time, which is quite a turn around considering just a year ago she had a complete fear of birds! She credits Denver Zoo’s Lorikeet Adventure and the Wildlife Show for helping her conquer this fear. When she stepped into Lorikeet Adventure and the lorries ate out of her hand instead of dive-bombing her head, she figured they couldn’t be all bad. Now the lorikeets are some of her favorite animals. But, when asked to name just one favorite animal she quickly says cats, all kinds of cats. The feline houses are her favorite exhibits. Jean also loves to hear Krueger, one of Denver Zoo’s male lions, "preach his sermon" as she calls it, from his heated termite mound in the center of his exhibit.
We thank Jean Hash for her generosity to Denver Zoo and for her commitment to all animals.
 Dick and Sandy McCray
Dick and Sandy McCray now think of the zoo as so much more than just a great place to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The McCrays first became passionate about Denver Zoo when bringing their grandchildren to visit. Then the realization hit, they didn’t need to bring their grandsons with them to enjoy the zoo!
The more they read and learned about the wonderful education and conservation work of the zoo, the more they wanted to get involved and help in any way they could. So in addition to getting to know Denver Zoo’s animals, Dick and Sandy have spent some time learning more about the zoo’s programs and staff. A retired professor of astrophysics at Colorado University, Dick has enjoyed meeting education staff and learning about the variety of education programs the zoo offers, including Young Scientists and school outreach programs. He is truly passionate about youth education. And Sandy enjoyed hearing about the zoo’s conservation programs across the globe. That is why Sandy and Dick decided to include the zoo in their estate plans to benefit the zoo’s education and conservation endowment. They also recently adopted the gerenuk front entry sculpture (pictured behind them in the above photo).
When pressed to name a favorite animal, Sandy didn’t hesitate to name the zebra. The zebra is prominent in many of her creative tile mosaics. Sandy is not an artist by trade; it is a hobby that occupies much of her time since her retirement from practicing law. It was a bit harder for Dick to name his favorite animal, but in the end he chose the hyena. "I was amazed that you (Denver Zoo) could train the hyenas to come over to receive an injection. I also was amazed to learn that a young female would dominate a mature male. And, maybe I take the hyenas because they are the underdogs – I don’t think many people would say that hyenas were their favorite."
We thank Sandy and Dick McCray for their generosity to Denver Zoo and for their commitment to the environment and educating young people.
 Carolyn B. Vincent
Denver Zoo finalized plans to name the Preserve Plaza in the upcoming Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit "The Carolyn B. Vincent Preserve Plaza." The zoo is deeply appreciative of Carolyn Vincent’s generous gift to the zoo’s endowment through a bequest in her estate. Carolyn was a wonderful friend of the zoo and is greatly missed. Because Carolyn’s bequest supports the endowment, her gift was matched dollar for dollar by Zoo Improvement Bond funds. The matching funds will support Toyota Elephant Passage.
Carolyn had a life-long career as a registered nurse. Additionally, in 1962, Carolyn joined the Pennsylvania and later the Wyoming Air National Guard where she served as a flight nurse for 18 years. When she retired from the Colorado Air National Guard in 1985 as a Lieutenant Colonel, she was awarded the Colorado Meritorious Service Medal for her significant contributions. Carolyn continued as the nursing manager at the Denver Westside Health Center through 1997 and was instrumental in developing and implementing preventative health care programs for the indigent.
Her good friends and zoo members, Nancy Joy and Bonnie McLaren, summed up Carolyn’s life as "one of love, service and commitment to her family, to people in need and to her friends." Carolyn, along with over 100 Wildlife Heritage Society members, has helped Denver Zoo fulfill its mission of wildlife conservation, environmental education and scientific programs through legacy gifts. We are pleased to honor Carolyn’s generosity with this named exhibit in Toyota Elephant Passage.
Cliff and DeVee Lushbough
Cliff and DeVee Lushbough have witnessed a lot of change at Denver Zoo since they started visiting in the 1960s. They keep coming back because of the animals, and they’re excited about the zoo’s plans to build better habitats. Cliff and DeVee decided to make a distribution from their IRA late last year to help with our next major renovation, Toyota Elephant Passage. Recently they spent a morning at the zoo, and Mimi and Dolly had an opportunity to say "thanks" – both for the apples and for helping build new elephant "digs."
Cliff and DeVee spent over 30 years working in the Aurora Public School District, and now enjoy traveling the globe to see both new places and the interesting animals that live there. One of their favorite trips was to the Galápagos Islands, where DeVee was thrilled to see blue-footed boobies among all the other wildlife. When at home in Aurora, Cliff is busy adding to his collection of antique scales or spending time at the Adams County Museum, where he helped renovate an 1887 Victorian home now on exhibit.
Though hard-pressed to name just one favorite animal, their decision to support Toyota Elephant Passage came much easier. Cliff said when his financial advisor explained the new IRA gift law, he saw that the tax benefits were excellent and he wanted to be able to see the positive effects of his donation rather than leaving it in his estate. The Lushboughs are looking forward to watching the construction of the elephants’ new home and in the meantime, it looks like a trip to Churchill to view the polar bears might be on the horizon.
For More Information
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Denver Zoological Foundation
Gift Planning Department
2300 Steele Street
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 376-4863
Email us
The material on this web site is intended to provide general information, not legal or tax advice about specific situations or problems. Donors are encouraged to consult a lawyer or accountant for legal or tax matters.
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