Trying to cobble together a decent living during the Great Depression, Arnold Silver was undefeated in his first 13 welterweight bouts. But after his last fight — after paying the corner guy, the cut man, the trainer, and the manager — he was left with only $1.50. “And he couldn’t remember where he lived,” says his grandson Kevin Hicks, recalling the pounding boxers take in the ring. “So, he decided it was time to do something else.”
Arnold put himself through night school, where he earned a master’s in business administration and eventually became Vice President of Transportation for Goldblatt’s Department Store. His daughter, Leslie, was not born until 1942, but she heard her father’s stories, and then watched him continue to build a strong foundation for their family.
To have had the privilege of working with such a compassionate individual and fierce healthcare advocate is an honor for which we are so grateful. The impact of Leslie and Charlie’s legacy will be felt far into the future.
— Kevin Causey, Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Montage Health
That determined journey inspired Leslie. She was proud of her father. And when Leslie Silver Snorf passed away in 2022 at the age of 80, all those humble, early lessons were deeply embedded in the $250,000 gift she and her husband, Dr. Charlie Snorf — a longtime Monterey Peninsula orthopedic surgeon, who died in 2020 — made to Montage Heath Foundation.
“It was mom’s last wish to help people with in-home palliative care; she was adamant about it,” says her son David Hicks, one of five siblings — Kevin, David, and their stepsisters Carolyn Akcan, Susan Lansbury, and Cynthia Livermore — determined to honor Leslie and Charlie’s legacy.
And it is something our dad “would have been all in on as well,” Carolyn says.
“Because of dad’s history as a doctor at Community Hospital,” Cynthia says, “it felt like it made sense to honor dad’s history and Leslie’s passion to help more people.”
As Leslie battled cancer, her vision became laser-focused. This is where the money would go — must go. Her passion was additionally informed by her service on Montage Health’s Board of Trustees for three years and as a founding member and board chair of Montage Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees for six years.
“To have had the privilege of working with such a compassionate individual and fierce healthcare advocate is an honor for which we are so grateful,” says Kevin Causey, Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Montage Health. “The impact of Leslie and Charlie’s legacy will be felt far into the future.”
For Leslie, it was not just about the patients, but rather the circle of support that forms when someone faces a life-limiting diagnosis.
“Our mom saw what palliative care did for her. She considered herself very fortunate,” David says. “Medical challenges, whether you’re with people or not, are a lonely time. And she felt that. So, her big idea was about inclusivity, about building teams and making sure people felt heard and seen.”
“And would be treated with respect and dignity,” Kevin adds.
The Snorf Fund gift — donated by all five children in honor of Leslie and Charlie — is being used to increase Community Hospital’s outpatient palliative capacity by 600 percent. Outpatient care is provided in a setting that best suits the patient’s needs and wishes, such as at home, in a care facility, or at the outpatient clinic. It includes expert symptom management, caregiver education and counseling, care goals, telehealth appointments, and psychosocial and spiritual support.
Giving to others. That’s what guided Leslie and Charlie.
“My dad worked at Community Hospital starting in 1963,” Susan says. “He was a physician in the community as well as on call at the hospital. He was very aware of the commitment it takes to help other people. In Leslie’s case, she was a very generous person with her time and her energy. Together, they were very committed to helping others and to the Montage Health and Community Hospital community.”
“Essentially, this was mom’s dying wish,” Kevin says. “She knew it was a tough world. She grew up in humble circumstances. It’s great that she got to a place where she could give her life force to this community. She never forgot where she came from, and she was such a great model for how to live in the world.”
