Stories

As a longtime elementary teacher at various High Desert schools, Elizabeth Walker helped put generations of local children on the path to bright futures. Her work helped lay the foundation for the healthy, vibrant community we share today.

Now in retirement, she’s still supporting the community through extensive volunteer work and philanthropy, including a generous donation to Providence St. Mary Medical Center as part of her estate.

It’s all part of her lifelong commitment to giving back.
“Providence St. Mary strengthens our community and supports healthy living in so many ways,” she says. “The hospital acts as an umbrella protecting our residents throughout the High Desert, as many will need their services at some time in their life.”

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science from UCLA and her master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University. An educator for more than 50 years, she began her career in the Los Angeles area before accepting a contract to teach first grade at Juniper School in Hesperia in 1977.

The area was much smaller then, and so was the school system. “It was a very small community of teachers,” she recalls. “We would have ice cream socials at Christmastime with all 60 employees.”

Elizabeth’s career grew along with the community, eventually leading her to teach seventh grade language arts and social studies.

Retirement brought a new chapter in her story of service, with a focus on volunteerism and active support for local charitable and social organizations. She says she’s carrying on a legacy she learned from her family.

“Giving back is a family tradition,” she says. “My grandmother volunteered for the Red Cross during World War II, and my mother volunteered at the hospital in her town.”

That tradition led her to become a supporter of Providence St. Mary Medical Center, eventually taking a seat on the Foundation Board. She’s a member of the President’s Cabinet Membership Society as well as the stewardship committee. And now, with the announcement that she is including a generous gift to the hospital in her estate, she’s been honored as a Heikes Legacy Society member.

She says her support for the hospital is driven by her awareness of its importance in the community.

“The hospital is very central to the community,” she explains. “It supports all walks of life. They do so much for the community.”

Although she’s primarily motivated by a desire to serve, she says she also derives tremendous personal satisfaction from her work. And like any good teacher, she leads by example, encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.