Lee Traven: Live Your Legacy

Lee Traven was honored as the Philanthropist of the Year for a lifetime of giving back at the Door County Community Foundation’s Celebration of Giving July 13 at Woodwalk Gallery.

When the Door County Community Foundation named Lee Traven as our 2011 Philanthropist of the Year, it served to remind us that a legacy is about much more than what you leave behind.

Now in his eighth decade, Lee remains a driving force in the peninsula community. When he was presented the award at the Community Foundation’s annual Celebration of Giving luncheon at Woodwalk Gallery last week, he joined a remarkably generous group of previous honorees that include Ruth and Hartley Barker, Cynthia Stiehl, Dave and Vonnie Callsen, Marian Hislop, Tim and Sue Stone, Josephine Guenzel, and Miriam Erickson.

Lee Traven was born in Milwaukee and moved to Door County with his parents Fred and Olivia Traven when he was just five years old. He credits both his parents for instilling in him a commitment to giving back to the community.

His mother Olivia was an active member of the Baileys Harbor Women’s Club and is one of the co-founders of The Ridges Sanctuary. His father Fred volunteered as a Boy Scout leader for 28 years and also served as president of The Ridges.

Lee spent most of his career working for Standard Oil of New Jersey, living in New York for nearly four decades. But his passion for Door County never diminished, and Lee returned regularly to the peninsula in the summer. When it came time for Lee to retire, there was no question that he would return home to Door County. In the years since, Lee has become one of our community’s great philanthropists, giving of his time and resources to countless organizations such as The Clearing, The Ridges Sanctuary, the Door County Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the Lawrence University/Downer Alumni Board – just to name a few.

I visited with Lee not too long ago, and he commented that he didn’t have any family around him anymore. I suppose that’s true if you use the most narrow definition of the word family. Yet last week, more than 130 people turned out to honor Lee, not including the many other folks who were on a waiting list for the event. There are so many in our community who are a part of Lee’s family. We love, honor and celebrate him not because we are bound by blood, but because his is the kind of soul that inspires us.

We are Lee’s legacy.

But when I say that, people immediately think we’re talking as if Lee’s life is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. We expect that Door County will continue to enjoy Lee’s volunteerism and leadership for many years to come.

That’s the problem when you talk of leaving a legacy. Everyone immediately thinks we’re referring to what we leave behind when we’re no longer here.Your legacy does not begin when you leave a gift in your estate plans; your legacy is how you choose to live your life.

Are you abundant in your praise of others, or do you only know how to sting with words of criticism? Do you selflessly share of your resources, or are you miserly with what you have? Are you generous with your friendship, or do you refuse to embrace those around you? Do you open your heart, or do you deny others the opportunity to see the most beautiful part of you?

How we treat our brothers and sisters in this lifetime is the cornerstone of the legacy we build.

The mission of the Door County Community Foundation is a simple one. We inspire people to give back to sustain the community we love. We’re experts on the “giving back” part of our mission, but we’re amateurs when it comes to inspiration.

That’s why we celebrate good people like Lee Traven. Because he inspires all of us.