Making an Impact: Cokie and Lee Perry Discover an Easy Way to Give

Cokie and Lee Perry grew up in Cleveland, where they developed a lifelong appreciation for the arts. When Lee began film school in Boston, Cokie, an art history major at Sarah Lawrence College, visited frequently and fell in love with the MFA. Cokie’s love for Boston and the MFA inspired their decision to settle permanently in the city.

Cokie told her neighbor at the time, a lecturer at the MFA, how much she loved the Museum and asked about becoming a volunteer. She became a member of the Ladies Committee (now the MFA Associates) in 1976, spending intense hours learning to guide tours, helping to establish the beloved Art in Bloom, and marketing blockbuster exhibitions. “We had a really fun time!” Cokie says. “I used to thank our neighbor all the time for what she did for me in opening the door.”

The decision to support the Museum philanthropically, in addition to giving their time and talent, was an easy one. “Growing up in Cleveland, our families brought us to museums, orchestras, and theatres. They inform, delight, enrich, and educate untold numbers of people, and we feel a tremendous responsibility for the health and vitality of these organizations for future generations.”

Cokie and Lee helped to start the Museum Council, the MFA’s young patron group, and Cokie became an Advisor and then a Trustee, devoting herself to many MFA committees over forty years. Cokie and Lee became known for their concern for MFA staff, and their deep interest in the work of curatorial departments.

Several years ago, Cokie and Lee realized they had a life insurance policy they no longer needed. They learned that they could give it to a charity, which would provide them with a significant tax deduction. “So many people have a policy, and some may even forget they have it,” says Lee. “I don’t think they realize they can use it to make a charitable gift, but it was an easy process.”

Selecting the MFA as the charitable recipient was an obvious choice. Cokie shared, “The MFA has been a home for us... and if there are places you love, you want to be there for them.”