Thomas Hokr has been in the financial services industry for decades now.
And over that time, the 1972 Saint John's University graduate and founding partner of MHS Companies in Maple Grove, has talked to many people about setting up estate plans.
"One of the first things I find when the topic comes up is that everyone wants to make sure their families are going to be OK," Hokr said. "They always want to make sure they provided first for their families. At that point, it's a matter of helping them identify the things that are dearest to them."
In his own case, SJU is at the top of that list, which is why he's made sure that his
will provides a gift to his alma mater.
That act of generosity is a further continuation of the service and support he has provided to Saint John's for many years now. Hokr was a member of the SJU Board of Trustees, where he served as alumni trustee.
And before that, he served as President of the SJU Alumni Association Board from 2009-10. In 2012, he was named a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award.
"It's in my nature to want to give back," said Hokr, who has also been involved in the Lions and Rotary over the years. "It's important to my wife (Mary) and I to share both our resources and our time.
"And Saint John's is high on that list. I really look at it as a down payment on the future to help future Johnnies have the same experiences and benefits I had at SJU."
Hokr's father was a salesman, and growing up the family lived in Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. He attended four different elementary schools before graduating from Benilde High School in St. Louis Park (Minnesota).
When Hokr arrived at SJU in the late 1960s, campus life provided him the experiences and the sense of community belonging he had been missing in his prior educational experiences.
"My family moved around a lot growing up, and when you get into a situation that's very close-knit and tight like the one you find at Saint John's, it makes a big impact on you," he said. "The nightly meetings sitting around in the dorm rooms - eating fresh warm Johnnie bread, talking about different topics and learning to accept all kinds of different points of views - are great opportunities. One of the best parts of these gatherings is that you are forming relationships with some of your closest friends that you will have for the rest of your life.
"The bottom line - and one tends to realize this over time - is that your fundamental experiences help form the core of your basic values. And reflecting back on it, a lot of mine were formed during my time at Saint John's."
This is why it was so important to Hokr to extend his legacy to include SJU in his estate plans. He encourages others who feel the same way to consider doing the same.
"Every gift makes a difference," he said. "I think a lot of people have the idea that estate planning is for the super-wealthy. That is a misconception. Estate planning is not simply about the amount, it's about earmarking one's financial resources to support what is near and dear to one's self, and if that includes a charitable entity, that the organization maintains its longevity through one's gifts after one us gone."
"I'd urge people to consider SJU in their estate plan, and I'd thank donors for all they do for Saint John's."
