IN UNISON

When Dick Stephenson and his late wife, Ann Radcliff Stephenson, reconnected, a shared love of education and music inspired their nearly twenty-year marriage. To honor the care she received, Dick has established an endowment to support continuing education and training for the staff at the Doylestown Health Cancer Institute.

A Doylestown native, Ann was born at the first Doylestown Hospital on Pine and Oakland Streets and was a member of the last graduating class of Doylestown High (now Central Bucks East) where she met Dick, and they became high-school sweethearts. Separated after graduation—Dick went to Brown University and joined the Army—“we lost touch for a long time,” said Dick.

Only after returning to Doylestown many years later did Dick learn what happened to the charming Ann Radcliff. A serendipitous conversation with a mutual friend led to “reconnecting with Ann through phone call after phone call,” said Dick. “Finally, we got together in Doylestown on a Friday, and by Saturday, we knew we’d stay together. It was a wonderful second marriage for both of us.”

Dividing time between their homes in Brunswick, Maine, and Doylestown, Dick and Ann had the opportunity to introduce each other to their favorite music—attending concerts and even international music festivals. “I enjoy chamber music, and Ann was an opera fanatic,” said Dick. “She was on the board of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia for more than thirty years and just loved being involved in supporting the education of the next generation of opera singers.”

Upon her lung cancer diagnosis in 2018, Ann and her husband, Dick, turned to a hospital they knew and trusted. “We were anxious for our appointment and were hopelessly lost,” said Dick of their initial oncology appointment. “A very nice man asked if he could help us and escorted us the entire way to the office. After we thanked him and he left, the receptionist told us, ‘That’s Jim Brexler, the hospital president.’ It felt like everyone was taking good care of us from the beginning,” Dick said.

Ann fought valiantly, yet she passed away just a year after her diagnosis. “Cancer is a horrible disease. Whatever can be done to make things better, we should be doing it,” said Dick. When considering how to honor Ann’s memory Dick’s thoughts turned to the team of oncologists, nurses, and patient care staff who took such special care of her during her illness.

Dick worked with the Doylestown Health Foundation team to design an estate gift that will be used to establish the Ann Radcliff Stephenson Endowment for Oncology Education and Training. The future income from the Endowment will fund ongoing education and training of Doylestown Health staff serving the needs of cancer patients.