Rancher's largess will be felt throughout state
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
By setting up more than $100 million in trust endowments to benefit at least 16 Hawai'i community organizations, kama'aina Big Island rancher Maude Woods Wodehouse leaves a legacy of support for schools, preservation of the Bishop Museum and help for those who need a hand.
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Bank of Hawaii is handling the various trust accounts on behalf of Wodehouse, who died July 2 at her Kona ranch at age 87.
Maude Woods Wodehouse, 87, died July 2 at her Kona home.
News of her generosity has been spreading throughout the community. Those that have received word of individual $18 million trusts include: Bishop Museum, Punahou School and Seabury Hall on Maui.
Bank spokesman Stafford Kiguchi said that her bequest set up individual trusts to earn continuing revenue for the organizations. "It definitely is close to the top of largest charitable contributions by an individual in Hawai'i," he said. "And this doesn't take into account the many other donations made during her lifetime — much of which she preferred to do anonymously."
Kiguchi confirmed that other substantial donations have been made to organizations that have declined to reveal the amount of the gift: Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, a private school on the Big Island; The Salvation Army of Hawai'i; and the Hawai'i Community Foundation.
Some of Wodehouse's ties to these organizations are clear. She is a 1933 graduate of Punahou School. School records show that her father, four sisters, two brothers and her husband, Cenric N. Wodehouse, all attended Punahou.
Punahou School President Jim Scott said she had been a generous supporter of the school but he was still surprised by the extent of her bequest, calling it "an extraordinary gift from a wonderful person."
Scott said he'd met Wodehouse before and found her private but down to earth. He recalled going to Kona to meet her for lunch. Instead of heading for a pricier place, she chose Teshima's, a low-key family restaurant that specializes in tempura.
Scott recalls her casually dressed in "slippers and mu'umu'u," reminiscing about her days at Punahou and catching the cattle boat from the Big Island to return to school each year.
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Scott said the gift will be used to help with faculty, facilities and financial aid. "The impact on our school is extraordinary," he said.
The Bishop Museum will receive about $900,000 a year from a trust set up by the late Maude Woods Wodehouse.
Family members said the bulk of the wealth came from her husband, as a grandson and heir to the Victoria Ward estate.
Wodehouse was born in Kona, a member of the Ackerman family. Those who knew her described her as a gracious, generous and funny woman who preferred to live quietly, avoiding most public acknowledgement of her gifts.
Other large trusts have been set up for The Nature Conservancy ($9 million); and the American Cancer Society ($2 million). Another trust of more than $6 million has been set up to share its earnings with eight beneficiaries under the C.N. Wodehouse Hawai'i Charities Trust, Kiguchi said.
They are: Iolani School, Daughters of Hawai'i, Hospice of Kona, Hawai'i Lions Foundation, Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, American Red Cross Hawai'i State Chapter, Institute for Human Services and Christ Episcopal Church of Kealakekua.
She and her husband were married at the church and she'd been a longtime supporter of Seabury, The Salvation Army, the American Cancer Society and others.
She was a member of the Daughters of Hawai'i, a group founded by daughters of American Protestant missionaries. The Daughters have been responsible for preserving Queen Emma Summer Palace in Honolulu and Hulihe'e Palace in Kailua, Kona. Her trust calls for that money to support Hulihe'e's continued restoration.
Bishop Museum President Bill Brown said the effect of the gift from her and her husband will be tremendous.
"I think it probably is the largest single gift that the Bishop Museum has received," Brown said. Brown said Wodehouse's endowment means the museum will receive about $900,000 a year in income to spend on "educational and charitable purposes."
He said the museum will likely use the money on the important but unglamorous job of caring for the collections. "Nothing is more important than making sure our collections are protected," he said.
Other organizations found the bequest a pleasant surprise. Iolani School Headmaster Val Iwashita said he was not aware of any personal ties that Wodehouse had to the school.
He said the school's share of the trust may mean about $50,000 to $60,000 in yearly revenue that she earmarked for teacher salaries.
"It's a nice boost," Iwashita said. With 154 faculty members, the money will be a help. "They deserve it with our high cost of living and the good work they do."
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
