Son’s Passion Inspires Mother’s Legacy Gift

It’s a difficult challenge that all college campuses face: how to help students struggling with high-risk substance use and prevent it from happening in the first place. It’s this challenge that led Marilyn Girouard to become closely involved with DU’s Health and Counseling Center and its alcohol and drug prevention efforts.

Marilyn's son, Louis Richard Girouard III, worked for some years treating young people managing substance use disorders.

He died in 2004, at the age of 39. Marilyn wanted to continue her son’s work and honor him at the same time. She began making annual contributions to DU that went toward alcohol and substance use education.

“Marilyn loved visiting with our team and learning about our work and DU,” says Kim Liao, the Louis Richard Girouard III Director of Health Promotion. “The funding she provided allowed us to grow and sustain many alcohol and other drug prevention programs, including late night substance-free activities, peer education and awareness campaigns.”

Five years ago, Marilyn decided to expand her commitment to this effort by creating an endowed directorship in health promotion in her son’s memory—the first and only such named position in the country—through a generous estate commitment. “I am so pleased to have this endowment in my son’s name and to support the program he was interested in, and that I have become interested in myself,” said Marilyn in 2016.

Marilyn passed away in November 2020 at the age of 92. Six months later, the University received her bequest, fully funding the permanent endowment that supports Liao’s position and cementing both Marilyn’s and her son’s legacy at the University of Denver.

“It’s pretty unique to have someone who was so engaged in this specific area and really so invested in prevention, not just treatment,” Liao says.

“Marilyn's legacy gift will support Health Promotion and help to create a safer and healthier DU community for our students now and for decades to come.”

Like Marilyn, you can support what matters most to you at DU. To learn more, contact Jon Kraus at 303.871.4619 or jon.kraus@du.edu.