We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.

On June 16, 1922 my grandfather, Francis J. Loughran, graduated from the University of DePaul Law School in Chicago. Francis was a first-generation American born to Irish immigrants. My grandfather worked hard, but he did not do it alone. He had the selfless support of people who cared about him and invested in him.

Today, I enjoy many benefits that are a direct result of the generosity of those who helped my grandfather complete Law School. One of my grandfather’s older brothers worked for the local railroad line and helped pay for my grandfather’s commute to Chicago. Another brother was a fireman and he also helped his younger brother financially so that he could study law.

The foresight, generosity and service of those two hardworking brothers, to benefit their fatherless kid brother, (who was growing up on the wrong side of town), opened the opportunity for my father to go to college and then law school and eventually led me to also freely pursue a career as an attorney. I am so grateful for their legacy of generosity.

Think about it: just a pinch of planning, a scoop of encouragement and a cup of financial support has now impacted five generations of Francis J. Loughran’s descendants!

This is the beauty and essence of estate planning: it ensures that the sacrifices we make today are investments in future generations and the institutions we want to see thriving long after we are gone.