Giving in Return

Robert (Bob) Beggin is a proud father of six children and a loving grandfather to ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren.  Bob is especially proud of his youngest son Rory, who has a successful career at a local hospital, in spite of the challenges he faces with his disability.  When Rory was 3 years old, Bob and his wife, Madonna, became involved with The Arc locally in Freeport, IL.  That was 45 years ago.

Over the years Bob became more involved with The Arc while Madonna took on greater responsibility for raising their 6 children.  She never did become as involved as her husband in the work of The Arc, but "she was a force at home" which Bob and the children respected.

It was due to her assuming greater responsibility at home that he was able to devote more time as a volunteer with The Arc, eventually serving as President of The Arc at both the local and later with the state chapter in Illinois. These experiences ultimately led Bob to a position on the national board of directors where he served on the executive committee as Treasurer and on the Budget and Finance Committee during his 1994-2002 tenure. In fact, Bob remains an active member of the Budget and Finance Committee to this day.

Rory Beggin is fortunate to function at a high level, which has allowed him to earn his own income and other work place benefits, such as medical insurance and a retirement plan.  Bob attributes much of the success that he and his wife had in raising Rory and encouraging him to be as independent as possible to the advocacy and support available to them through The Arc.  In gratitude, Bob has decided to give back by including The Arc in his will.

After the passing of Madonna in 2012, Bob revised his will to include a portion of the residue for charity.  He feels that it is important to support the future financial welfare of charities that offer good support and services to others.  For him, The Arc was an important part of their life in raising Rory through its programs and advocacy.  Bob views this as his way of giving back with one final gift to the local, state and national levels of The Arc, as well as a number of other charities that he views as making a big impact on the lives of others.