Continuing a Legacy of Giving Back: Glenn Trusley Uses a Gift in His Will to Support Programs for Children in McMinn County

Glenn Trusley and his late wife Thelma shared a lifelong belief in the power of community. That deeply held value shaped their life together in East Tennessee and ultimately inspired Glenn to include a bequest in his will to the East Tennessee Foundation (ETF/Foundation).

Glenn built a 40-year career in the automotive care industry, earning a reputation for treating everyone he served with dignity and respect. Thelma worked for three decades as a laboratory analyst at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Known for her discipline and foresight, Thelma believed in planning ahead and saving diligently. Together, they built a life grounded in responsibility, generosity, and compassion.

When Glenn began planning his estate, he wanted to honor the partnership that he and Thelma shared and continue their legacy of giving back. On the advice of his trusted attorney, he turned to ETF. With the Foundation’s guidance, Glenn established a bequest in his will to create a field-of-interest endowment. The Lee Glenn Trusley and wife Thelma Coleman Trusley Endowed Fund will support programs for economically disadvantaged children in their beloved McMinn County.

The bequest allows Glenn to support causes that he and Thelma were passionate about without affecting his immediate financial security. Most important, the endowment will support programs for children at a local level for generations to come because the endowment will be invested and managed by ETF in perpetuity.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see a child smile just because they have clean clothes and nourishing food,” Glenn said. “There are kids out there who need basic things to live, and I am glad that I can help.”