When Barbara Lapidus made the decision to leave a gift to her community hospital through her estate, it was just one more example of the way she lit up Huntsville—not just through her family’s business, Richards Lighting, but through a lifetime of service, leadership, and love.

Barbara, who passed away peacefully at home in December 2024 at age 86, was not only a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. She was a trailblazer. She helped found Huntsville Hospital Foundation in 1978, and her vision and leadership helped lay the groundwork for what the Foundation has become today—a vital resource that strengthens local health care through community giving. Barbara also remained a loyal Millennium Society member for decades, continuing to lead by example.

Her generosity extended far beyond our walls. From the United Way, where she broke barriers as the first female Campaign Chair and later Board President, to her work with Temple B’nai Sholom, the arts community, local schools, and civil rights organizations, Barbara’s impact shaped the very fabric of Huntsville. She didn’t just support her community—she built it.

Barbara once said, “Life has not always been roses ... but just an ordinary life made extra-ordinary by love and respect, a great zest for challenge, a need for productivity, and enormously good luck!” That spirit is exactly why we honor her now—not only for how she lived, but for the legacy she leaves behind through her planned gift to Huntsville Hospital Foundation.

Planned gifts like Barbara’s ensure that world-class health care will be here for future generations, just as she envisioned. Her story reminds us that we all have the power to make a lasting difference.

If you’re inspired by Barbara’s legacy and would like to learn how you can leave a gift in your will or estate plan to benefit Huntsville Hospital, visit https://www.hhfplannedgiving.org/ or connect with Lynne Berry at (256) 479-1010.