North Star Values: Love, Legacy, Faith, and Family
In 2020, Jody Goldman and Steve Bohannon and the late Sharon Bohannon established the Allyson Bohannon Goldman Memorial Fund at CFT. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Allyson Bohannon Goldman passed away unexpectedly at age 30 from a postpartum blood clot seven weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Caroline. “In her 30 years, she left an indelible mark on those who knew her. In addition to being a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend, she lived a life of service to others,” said Sharon Bohannon, Allyson’s mother.
While the grief their family continues to experience in the wake of losing a wife and daughter is unimaginable, they were determined to turn loss into legacy by establishing a memorial fund in her honor. Tolleson Wealth Management, where Allyson worked as a manager on the client advisory team, recommended that they partner with CFT to establish the fund.
Many friends, family, and colleagues have contributed to the memorial fund, which currently awards scholarships to deserving students pursuing educational goals at Prince of Peace and Ursuline Academy of Dallas, where Allyson attended school and honed her heart for service.
“This is a way for her spirit to live on by providing others with an opportunity to learn, serve, and succeed like she did. She was known as a calming and quiet force. She was always putting others first,” said Steve Bohannon, Allyson’s father. “Allyson’s legacy is that she had a servant heart and unrelenting devotion and love for her family,” added Jody, her husband.
Allyson believed in a higher calling, having volunteered countless hours at Ronald McDonald House and Scottish Rite, as well as annually raising money and participating in Susan G. Komen walks. Students who receive the annual award in her honor are selected by Jody, Steve, and Sharon, based on volunteer service and community contributions. They are currently offering partial scholarships and hope to eventually be able to offer full scholarships for more than one student.
“We’ve found a beautiful way to honor Allyson’s legacy by encouraging students to care for the community in the way that Allyson did,” said Sharon. “We see her reflected in the students selected.”
One meaningful benefit of the fund is that Caroline will be able to be a part of it. “As she gets older, I’m looking forward to getting her input on what’s meaningful to her and where she would like to see some of the funds be directed,” said Jody. “Allyson’s legacy will live on through Caroline, so I want to make sure she’s a big part of the fund as well. We want to use the good works provided through this fund to help Caroline someday understand what a loving woman of service her mother was.”
As they think through additional ways to honor Allyson’s legacy, they’re also interested in raising funds to help educate pregnant women about the risks of postpartum blood clots. “Women who give birth shouldn’t have to experience what happened to Allyson. It shouldn’t result in loss of life,” said Sharon.
This story was originally featured in our 2021 annual report. For additional details and content, click here.
