A Survivor’s Journey, a Supporter’s Journey: Meet John Allbery
After successful cancer treatment, John and Leslie Allbery are firm in their support of the outstanding oncological services and compassionate care provided by Saint Joseph Hospital and SCL Health.
John Allbery’s public accounting career with Deloitte started in Omaha, Nebraska, and took him all the way to central Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Based with his family in Budapest, Hungary, he was partner-in-charge of the region. Moving to Colorado several years later, he led a nuclear and aerospace firm in Golden. After the company experienced dramatic growth, he sold his ownership interests and took early retirement in 2018 to focus on board work.
But his real journey, he’ll tell you, began almost 20 years ago in Nebraska, when he was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. Given a slim chance of survival, he underwent 35 radiation treatments, nine weeks of chemo and a radical neck dissection. “Long story short,” he says, “I was extremely blessed with a spectacular cancer treatment team, and I beat all the odds.”
So when he moved to Denver, he came with a conviction to continue giving to a medical organization that saves lives. Joining the board of Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation, he helped oversee the foundation’s investments toward the building of a new hospital — today’s Saint Joe’s. He went on to recruit dedicated, high-profile board members and has helped initiate the historic “Campaign for Caring” to celebrate the original Saint Joseph Hospital’s creation nearly 150 years ago by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
He and his wife, Leslie, made the lead gift to the campaign. Out of admiration for Saint Joseph Hospital’s top-notch oncologists, they directed their gift to the radiation oncology program; the Allberys are acknowledged in the waiting room in recognition of John’s desire to make patients’ treatment journeys more comforting. They funded their gift in part with appreciated securities — a tax-efficient method with no capital gains tax incurred on the stocks’ appreciation and a charitable tax deduction for the full value of the contribution.
Today, John and Leslie continue to support Saint Joseph Hospital and SCL Health with both their service and their treasures. If you’d like to learn how to tailor your support to be a win-win for you and Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation, please contact Leslie McKay at 303.812.6435 or leslie.mckay@sclhealth.org.