Donor Profile: Mary Gorham Franco '81 and Mike Franco '81
Mary and Mike, who met as freshmen in 1981, say Merrimack College has remained central to their lives since the day they first set foot on campus.
“We came for four years—and stayed a lifetime.”
That’s how Mary and Mike Franco view their relationship with their alma mater. Both believe they are blessed because they came from humble beginnings, and Merrimack set them on a course for life that has been everything they could have hoped for — and more.
Mary and Mike met as freshmen and became fast friends. A group of close friends and “sisters,” as well as faculty, administrators and priests helped Mary cope with the loss of her parents while the pair were at Merrimack. Those friendships have lasted a lifetime. Mike, one of 11 children, found Merrimack through his sister Annie who graduated in 1977 — Mike’s younger brother Carl later graduated in 1985. Hard work and great professors helped Mike on his path to law school followed by a thriving career practicing law. Mary found resilience and a caring community at Merrimack, which led to a successful career as an executive fundraiser.
Since the day they set foot on campus in 1977, Merrimack has remained central in their lives. They loved their experience at Merrimack. They both participated in student government. Mike was captain of the lacrosse team in junior and senior years. Shortly after graduating, they were married on campus by their Augustinian friend Father Casey.
Mary has co-chaired several reunion committees, and both still visit campus often — for reunions, homecoming or athletic events. Mary currently serves on Merrimack’s Board of Trustees and Mike serves on the College Leadership Council. Dear college friends of the Francos and their spouses get together regularly, and they enjoyed meeting on campus one again in June for their reunion and to celebrate Merrimack’s 75th anniversary.
The Francos encourage all who share their love of Merrimack to consider how they can support the College moving forward. “Because we believe in the Merrimack community and the profound way it shapes the lives of young people, supporting the College through our service and financial investments makes sense to us. With annual gifts, we can help sustain Merrimack in providing remarkable opportunities for today’s students. Our estate gift will leave a lasting family legacy at Merrimack. With this planned gift we hope to make a difference in the lives of future students and in the College that means so much to us,” Mary explains.
You don’t need a lot of money to establish a planned gift. Through your will, you can easily carve out a specific amount or percentage of your estate. You may choose to name Merrimack as a full or partial beneficiary of life insurance or a retirement plan. By establishing a planned gift, you demonstrate your pride in and gratitude for Merrimack and your desire to see it succeed well into the future. You will also join others who support Merrimack as members of The 1947 Society.
Like the Francos, your gift can help build a foundation for future generations of Merrimack College students. To discover which planned gift option is right for you, contact us at 978-837-5176 or giving@merrimack.edu.
