Thanks to a $225,000 gift from the estate of William (Bill) Faubel, who died December 2023 at age 103, the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation will continue its support of SSM Health at Home Hospice services in Fond du Lac and Green Lake.
SSM Health at Home Hospice is a program for individuals with a limited life expectancy. An interdisciplinary team works with patients and their families, dealing with their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs, at a time when a curative approach to care is no longer available.
SSM Health at Home Hospice, in the Fond du Lac and surrounding communities, averages 165 patients receiving care at any given time with 41 percent receiving financial assistance for the length of their care. The average cost of care at $300 per day.
“We appreciate the generosity of Bill and his family, for this incredible support that will help us continue to meet the growing need for hospice care in our communities,” said Kim Laws, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation director of development and interim leader. “Bill was very supportive of the communities where he lived and left an example of selfless giving.”
Faubel’s niece Polly May said, “We were very fortunate to have Uncle Bill as part of our family. He was an extraordinary man. He was very poor growing up and worked hard to earn everything he achieved in life. He was most proud to be a veteran, including being a part of an Old Glory Honor Flight in 2010.”
Faubel was born on Nov. 26, 1920, the youngest of four siblings. He was raised in Fond du Lac and graduated from Goodrich High School in 1939.
He joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 and was stationed at Fort Sheridan. Following basic training, he was assigned to the 435th Troop Carrier Command, 75th Squadron, where he served in ordinance. His squadron dropped paratroopers on D-Day and pulled gliders into France. Bill was discharged on Sept. 16, 1945.
Upon returning to the U.S., Bill worked at Briggs and Stratton in Milwaukee for a year, then came back to Fond du Lac and worked for Blakely Auto Parts for 12 years. In 1958, he started Appleton Crankshaft Service, eventually selling his business to two employees.
Faubel moved to Woodlands Senior Park in 2021 and received care from the SSM Health at Home Hospice team when he started to experience upper respiratory concerns. The blending of care was helpful so he could continue to receive services from individuals he already knew and trusted.
“As a family, we were happy that Uncle Bill was able to stay where he was, and get the attention he required,” May said. “We found and appreciated that hospice was more than the physical care they offered, but also the support they provided to us as a family.
“One of the initial requests we made was to see if there was a military honor service that could be made available. The good news is that hospice offers a We Honor Veterans program, and a chaplain quickly made it happen,” May added.
We Honor Veterans – a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – focuses on providing care to veterans through a pioneering program focused on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment.
Faubel’s donation to the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation and other nonprofit organizations came as no surprise to his family. “He was always a role model for his family,” Polly says. “He was very much locally oriented and was supportive of his family and many charities throughout the years.”
