Hospital loses one of its biggest backers

In April, the Cardiac Care Center at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, marked its 1,000th open heart surgery since opening in 2004.

Hospital officials reflected this week that what had started with early discussions about opening a cardiac catheterization laboratory advanced into a full cardiac care facility, once they drew some major contributions from the community.

Of those, Frank and Mary Morgan of Barrington, were the first.

"The Morgans' gift was the one that started the whole process, and resulted in what you see today," says Michael Ploszek, development vice president for the hospital.

"From those early discussions grew an even bigger dream, that drew people like Wayne and Patricia Kocourek (for whom the center is named) and others to step up."

Mary Morgan died on Saturday. The 33-year Barrington resident was 82.

"They are among the top five donors to the hospital," Ploszek adds. "They have a strong belief in the community and the importance of its health care."

Their major gift to Good Shepherd's Cardiac Care Center resulted in the catherization lab being named in their honor. The names of Frank and Mary Morgan also appear on the information center in the hospital's new outpatient pavilion, in one of the labor and delivery rooms in the hospital's birthing center, and on one of the cardiac rooms in the emergency department.

Ploszek thinks the names of Frank and Mary Morgan may be among the most recognizable to the more than 100,000 patients treated at the hospital each year.

Mrs. Morgan grew up in Bridgeport, Conn., and started out doing secretarial work for Bridgeport Bank & Trust. However once she married in 1952, she devoted her life to raising her five children and supporting her husband's career, which included serving as president of The Quaker Oats Co.

"They were full partners in terms of their philanthropies," Ploszek says. "Frank may have been the front man, but she was the quiet force behind them, who had a great influence over where they contributed."

It was Mrs. Morgan's involvement with the Good Shepherd Hospital Auxiliary, and her volunteering with some of their fundraisers, including Art in the Barn, that drew her husband to become involved as well.

Frank Morgan has served on the hospital's governing board and on its advancement committee, as well as on its foundation board.

Mrs. Morgan also supported the Michael Joseph Foundation, which supports transitional housing for families in crisis, as well as the Infant Welfare Society, a nonprofit health care clinic for women and children in Chicago.

"She was a big champion of children's rights," says her youngest daughter, Karen Holmgren of Wilmette, "and making sure that all children receive the love and care they deserve."

Besides her daughter, Mrs. Morgan is survived by her husband of 56 years, Frank, her other four children, Mark (Jan), Craig (Sue), Kevin (Jami), and Susan Morgan Bradley (Brian), and 10 grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will take place at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Anne Church, 120 N. Ela St. in Barrington.