It is with great sadness that we write to share the news with PGGNE membership that John Brown - one of the founding members of PGGNE and an icon in the field of gift planning - passed away earlier this week after an extended illness.

John was of course well known as one of the legends of our industry. He served as a consultant and educator for decades, training many of us in the fundamentals of gift planning. John's distinguished career included helping to found the planned giving program at Harvard University and serving as an advisor to countless non-profits across the nation.

For PGGNE, John was there at the very beginning. He was one of the key figures in the creation of the Planned Giving Group of New England in the 1970s. A council dedicated to the education and promotion of planned giving was a novel concept at the time, as PGGNE was one of the earliest councils in the country with such a focus. John was a member of our first executive board and served as President of PGGNE from 1978-1980. Beyond his service on the board, John was also a regular speaker at PGGNE and a confidant to many of us serving in a leadership role. He was recognized as one of a select few given an honorary lifetime membership to PGGNE.

John's full obituary is available by clicking on the following links: http://www.jellisonfuneralhome.com/j-brown-629#!__j-brown-629 or http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=john-brown&pid=152276623. The family is planning a public memorial service later this year; we will pass along the date of that service as soon as we know.

PGGNE is forever indebted to John for all he did for our organization and profession. We are honored to have been a part of his tremendous life and legacy.

The PGGNE Executive Board