Jim and Jayne Heagy

Music was a common bond when Jim and Jayne Heagy met in 1964. They were classical music fans who discovered their passion for opera in 1984, and became devoted fans shortly after. Jim and Jayne served as ushers for the Opera for nine years before purchasing front row season tickets. “Jayne liked to get dressed up, and we both loved being close to the stage,” says Jim, “It’s a different show up close.” In 2004, Jim was contemplating the sale of an apartment building, having the desire to convert the greatly appreciated asset to income. He had previously established a charitable remainder trust (CRT) with the Opera as beneficiary. “I was going to have a large short-term capital gain on some stock options so the choice was giving it to the Opera or giving a big chunk to the IRS” noted Jim. “This trust had worked out very well, earning interest on the portion the IRS and State would have taken and paying us a nice income” By donating the apartment house to the CRT, we saved more than $200,000 in capital gains taxes, got a large tax deduction for the donation, and substantially increased our after-sale monthly income. And, of course, it was extremely gratifying to be able to offer our support of the Opera.” The Heagys especially enjoyed getting to know many young artists who have participated in the Merola Opera Program as well as San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship. Despite these special interests, Jim and Jayne’s endowment gift is unrestricted. As Jim says, “We want our gift to reinforce this Company’s future and make sure that many more talented singers and devoted fans will love San Francisco Opera as much as we do.” Jayne passed away in April 2007, but Jim continues to volunteer for many tasks and still sits in the front row, giving Jayne’s seat to a friend, a lucky standee, or a new “victim,” as he calls people he wants to introduce to opera.