Grounded in partnership, family and community

Written by Melani Morose Edelstein

For more than six decades, Rick and Eve Higgins have built a life grounded in partnership, family and community. Married during their senior year of college, they grew up side by side. That shared foundation continues to shape their family life and their commitment to Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

After graduating from college in Pennsylvania, the couple began their married life in Hawaii before settling in Southern California in the early 1980s. They planted roots in Palos Verdes Estates, where they built friendships and became deeply involved in the community. Eve spent 20 years as a special education teacher.

“When you see students growth from year to year,” she says, “it’s incredibly rewarding.”

They raised two sons and now have five grandchildren, most of whom live nearby in the South Bay. “We feel very lucky,” Eve says. “Watching our grandchildren grow—that’s the best part of this stage of life.”

Rick’s professional career kept him connected to innovation and growth, and his philanthropic work followed a similar path. Long before joining the Torrance Memorial, he spent more than three decades supporting Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, serving on the board and helping lead planning efforts and fundraising events, including the organization’s golf tournaments.

His interest in health care philanthropy also grew through his involvement on the board of LA BioMed, now known as the Lundquist Institute, where he gained a deeper appreciation for the role research and community hospitals play in advancing care.

The couple’s connection to Torrance Memorial began personally. Eve’s father was a patient of Benjamin Rosin, MD, and during those visits the couple formed a friendship with nurse Judy Leach. That relationship eventually opened the door to deeper involvement.

Rick joined the Torrance Memorial Foundation Board in 2014, eager to stay engaged and support the hospital that had already touched his family. He has also been the chair of the golf tournament committee for the past several years. He points to the hospital’s partnership with Cedars-Sinai as a key strength—one that brings world-class expertise to the South Bay while preserving the hospital’s strong community focus.

“I used to think of Torrance Memorial as a small community hospital,” he says. “But it has grown into a premier regional institution.”

The couple has also embraced planned giving as part of their long-term commitment to the hospital. Planned giving allows individuals to create a lasting legacy through tools such as wills, trusts or other structured gifts, ensuring future generations benefit from the same compassionate care donors have experienced. These types of gifts support vital programs and medical advancements while often providing financial advantages to donors, such as tax benefits or income during retirement.

For Rick and Eve, it is a thoughtful way to extend their support beyond their lifetimes and invest in the hospital’s future. Philanthropy is how they give back—another way of caring for the place and the people who have shaped their lives.  •