Pictured: MCF Founder and past Chairman of the Board (1/3/1941 - 3/1/2026). Provided photo.

People often measure philanthropy in dollars, but I’d say it’s truly about character. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat others, the care they bring to their work, and their social responsibility toward their community. Manatee Community Foundation (MCF) was built on those values, and few people embodied them more fully than our co-founder Bob Christopher.

Sunday, March 1st, was a sad day for our community. We lost one of the “Three Bobs” who helped establish Manatee Community Foundation in 1998. When I ask myself, “How can someone remain so actively engaged with a cause for nearly 30 years?”, I see the answer: Bob Christopher’s personal values tightly aligned with MCF’s. Bob lived out those values—trust, integrity, transparency, loyalty, leadership, and diversity—in his professional life and in his service to the community. His expertise as a respected accountant helped guide MCF during its earliest years—but expertise is not worth much without character.

Bob understood that a community foundation’s currency is trust. Donors entrust their charitable funds with the expectation they will be stewarded wisely and leveraged to strengthen the community for generations. Bob helped build that trust. His reputation for transparency and integrity reassured donors that MCF would forever be a careful steward of their philanthropic intent and a thoughtful partner to nonprofits serving Manatee County.

Bob and his wife of 65 years, Margaret, also led by example, establishing a Founder’s Fund at MCF and encouraging others to become involved in improving the quality of life of this region. He truly believed in the mission of the foundation and spent years helping introduce clients, colleagues, and friends to the impact they could have of partnering with MCF.

As a relatively new leader in my role, I asked others how Bob changed our community for the better. Those who worked closely with him remember the same qualities I do. His steadiness grounded others. He walked in humility and held a deep sense of responsibility for the mission.

Susie Bowie, MCF’s former Executive Director, often noticed Bob’s careful leadership. She remembers how thoughtfully he protected the financial integrity of the young organization while never losing sight of the people it was meant to serve. As Susie described to me, “He was a calm, measured voice of reason and experience, a humble leader in every way.”

Lisa Johnson of Johnson Messal Bristow, a CPA who once worked under Bob’s mentorship and served as chair of the MCF board, remembers the same qualities. “Bob was intelligent, kind, and humble,” Lisa said. “He was always 100 percent invested in whatever he was involved with. He was an extraordinary mentor and will be missed deeply.”

Founding Executive Director, Marilyn Howard, saw that same spirit in the earliest days of the foundation. She remembers how Bob always seemed to have a twinkle in his eye, how he was gracious and wonderful to be around. That also speaks to his character.

Fellow founder, Bob Blalock, saw those qualities not only in meetings but in the everyday moments that build real friendships. He recalls fond memories of his close friend of over 50 years, especially days spent fishing together, and said the reputation Bob Christopher had in the community was well earned. “He was brilliant, a wonderful CPA, but he was so much more than that,” Blalock said.

So, what was Bob’s definition of philanthropy? I think he’d define it the way character is defined: by how we treat others or serve our neighbors; how we lead with integrity. Those principles guided all his days, and I’m so proud that they continue to guide the work of MCF today.

Even in recent months, Bob remained closely connected to the foundation he helped build. His encouragement reminded us how much he cared about the future of this organization and the community it serves.

Bob has left an immense void in our hearts, yet he has filled our community with love and care that will never dissipate. He understood the value of relationships and lived an exemplary life, showcasing each of our shared values. We hold on to our beautiful memories of Bob and celebrate his incredible legacy in our community.

Veronica Thames is the CEO of the Manatee Community Foundation.

Pictured: MCF Founder and past Chairman of the Board (1/3/1941 - 3/1/2026). Provided photo.