Page 77 - LIN_December 2022

NANCY LASCHEID

Nancy Lascheid left us at age 85 in August. Her legacy is clear, bright and ongoing, as co-founder of the
Neighborhood Health Clinic for the working poor. Her partner in life and the clinic was her husband,
the late Dr. Bill Lascheid. What they launched in a shopping center storefront, where Naples Square
rises today, stands as a beacon of healthcare now including dentistry and imaging. It serves as a
national model. The Lascheids’ formula was original— privately funded care for the working, uninsured
poor, anchored by doctors and nurses working pro bono, to relieve pressure on emergency rooms.
And their core message was an epiphany: Amid the wealth of Naples there are essential workers who
need, yet cannot afford health care. The Lascheids’ daughter, Leslie, administers the clinic going forward.

Nancy and Bill Lascheild, with daughter Leslie

MURRAY HENDEL
Murray Hendel, 93, was dedicated to community difference-making. A retired accountant, he became
the voice of the Park Shore condominium coalition and led the push for systematic, protective beach
renourishment. He also campaigned to raise the Collier County tourist tax to pay for it. His public
policy trademark was judging issues by their potential for civic progress, not as a political agenda. Behind
the scenes, he helped complete the languishing Freedom Memorial monument to veterans (he was one)
and first responders. He tutored me, as a new retiree in 2014, to join forces with then-Mayor John Sorey
to elevate the granite monument from a gnarled eyesore. I helped beat the public awareness drum while
Sorey led fundraising, which crossed the finish line when Hendel lobbied then-Commissioner Georgia
Hiller to champion a pivotal $600,000 county contribution.

All five dearly departed visionaries were driven by inspiration.
Alan Korest’s widow offers a last word that resonates with their overriding spirit. “As for his commitment to
philanthropy through music — it’s unusual, since he didn’t play an instrument and couldn’t hold a tune,” writes Dolly Bodick.
“But he had a strong belief in music’s ability to help people of all ages to learn, to heal, and especially, to find joy.”

Life in Naples December 2022 77