The de la Cuesta Legacy Society: Philanthropy Honoring Lives Well-Lived

Reginald and Margaret de la Cuesta met and married soon after serving their nation with great distinction in World War II – Reginald in the U.S. Army at Okinawa, earning a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and two Oak Leaf Cluster Awards; Margaret, one of the first women in the U.S. Army Air Corps, teaching Morse code and procedure to radio operators and Signal Corps ground forces.

Together, through their tireless, hard work, they built a fulfilling life and a meaningful legacy. They started a successful business building homes and communities, were married for 61 years and raised a family spanning four generations in Southern California. Margaret, who was warm and loved connecting people, worked side-by-side with Reginald until her retirement. When she developed Alzheimer's disease, the family took turns as caregivers.

Due to the impact of Alzheimer's on their family, Reginald and Margaret added a Charitable Lead Trust in their estate plans, directing that the Trust's annual revenue would go to support Alzheimer's Disease Research, a program of BrightFocus Foundation. This transformational gift provided a steady stream of funding and upon maturation, will have provided $10.7 million to significantly advance Alzheimer's research and provide expert information on this heartbreaking disease.

BrightFocus Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the de la Cuesta Legacy Society, recognizing the historic impact of the de la Cuesta family's generosity. Daughters Pamela, Roberta, and Regina, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren are proud of their parents and pleased that BrightFocus is recognizing their benefaction. The newly-named Society shares the family's common bond of philanthropy to provide for the needs of future generations.

According to the de la Cuesta daughters, "Our parents worked so hard and it is nice to see something come from their work that directly helps others. We are so proud of them and we are hopeful for the work of BrightFocus Foundation and that their research is able to find the causes of Alzheimer's disease and change lives in the future."