This article originally appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of Promise magazine.
“I was born here and never left,” Froncie Repetti said about her five decades of giving back to Summa Health.
“I volunteered charting temperatures while in high school at what was then Akron City Hospital. My father was on the board there for 35 years, and my mother was on the Women’s Board. It was a natural progression for me to follow in their footsteps,” said Mrs. Repetti.
She joined the Women’s Board of Akron City Hospital in 1967, becoming president of the board in 1980. In 1988 she became the first woman to be elected to the Summa Health board of directors. “I was thrilled and honored to be the first female trustee,” she said. “I feel very fortunate to have had many incredible volunteer experiences at Summa Health.”
Mrs. Repetti also served for 18 years on the board of directors of Summa Health Foundation. Currently, she is a member of the Women’s Board of Summa Health System and serves on the Summa Health Seniors Institute and Primary Care Institute leadership councils.
In addition to her generous gifts of time and leadership, Mrs. Repetti has been an annual supporter of Summa Health for 35 consecutive years, giving to a variety of funding priorities including cancer, critical care and medical education. “I know my gifts help fund research and the purchase of new, cutting-edge equipment and technology,” said Mrs. Repetti. “My support stays right here in our community to maintain quality healthcare at Summa Health.”
Mrs. Repetti views her giving to Summa Health as a special way to show appreciation to those closest to her. “When someone touches your life and goes the extra mile, you want to recognize that person,” she said. “My tribute gifts for a wedding anniversary, birthday, congratulations or a memorial are very much appreciated — and unexpected.”
And they always carry her signature message, “in grateful appreciation.”
For more information about supporting women's health at Summa Health, contact Shelley Green, system director of development, 330.375.6891 or greensh@summahealth.org.