Norma and Frank Sugg Leave Legacy for Leukemia Research

By Elliot Wolf

Last month, The Scripps Research Institute received the final payment from the estate of Norma and Frank Sugg, a California couple who included Scripps Research as a beneficiary of their will. The $1.6 million gift will support research on leukemia at the institute.

"We are very grateful for Norma and Frank Sugg's generosity," says Wendy Scott Keeney, vice president of Philanthropy. "The Suggs have left a powerful legacy for future generations. Their gift is already making an impact by accelerating the progress of research on our campuses."

Scripps Research received proceeds from the sale of the Suggs' home as well as other assets. Even before her death in 2005, Norma was a regular donor to Scripps Research, giving about $10,000 to the institute over the years.

A Story from the Greatest Generation

Norma and Frank Sugg lived in Nipomo, California, a community outside of Santa Barbara.

"Frank was a brilliant man, but he never gave you the impression that he was smarter than you," said Tom Etzel, Norma and Frank's nephew and the trustee for Norma's estate. "And Norma was a wonderful woman who had the vision and foresight to support charitable causes and community needs into the future."

Norma and Frank Sugg met at a U.S.O. function while Frank was in the Air Force. Frank, who enlisted early at age 16, had an illustrious Air Force career of over 20 years. He was in charge of ground maintenance crews all over the world, keeping Air Force jets flying. Although he had never finished high school, Frank went on to earn an engineering degree while in the Air Force.

After leaving the Air Force, Frank was hired by Rockwell in Southern California to work in its Space Program. In 1977, while at Rockwell, Frank developed an improved radiographic inspection capability for detecting flaws in materials—using sound waves to examine their structural integrity without destroying the material. Plus, he was one of the developers of the tiles used in the Space Shuttle that stop burning upon reentry to the earth's atmosphere. He also developed several other patent applications and presented numerous seminars at other Rockwell facilities.

Norma was a devoted philanthropist. In addition to Scripps Research, she supported many organizations involved with leukemia and lymphoma, as well as St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Nipomo and other charities. She named The Scripps Research Institute as a beneficiary in her will after Frank died from leukemia in 1995.

To learn more about including The Scripps Research Institute in your estate plans, please contact Cheryl H. Dean at (858) 784-2380 or cdean@scripps.edu.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

Norma and Frank Sugg of Nipomo, California, left The Scripps Research Institute $1.6 million from their estate.