CHARLOTTE — Lee F. McGuiness could command a room. A graduate of Charlotte Catholic High School and Belmont Abbey College, he became a successful businessman, known as a consummate salesman whose very presence made a statement.
When he died in 2020, McGuiness, 85, made a different kind of statement: He left behind instructions and a gift to establish an endowment through the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation to further the work of Charlotte Catholic’s Alumni Association, demonstrating his love for his alma mater.
“He always remembered his high school,” said Janie McGuiness, his wife of 25 years. “The endowment was all set up in his will. He was a highly organized person.”
McGuiness graduated from Charlotte Catholic in 1953 and played saxophone and tuba in the high school band.
A native New Yorker, he moved with his family to Charlotte as a young boy. He got his start in sales as a teen delivering newspapers and selling subscriptions. Over the course of his career, he sold paper and plastics and eventually formed a packaging consulting company which he ran until his passing.
“He was a true salesperson,” Janie said. “He was bigger than life. He always made a statement when he walked into a room.”
McGuiness was also a devoted family man. His first wife, Nancy, whom he married his senior year at Belmont Abbey College, died from cancer after 37 years of marriage. They had four children together.
“His family was his priority,” Janie said. “He loved spending time with his children, my three children, our 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Our kids and grandkids always sought his advice as they got older.”
Jim Kelley, development director for the diocese, said Charlotte Catholic set McGuiness on a path to success – so it was important for him to give back, so that others might benefit from a similar experience.
“Charlotte Catholic really impacted him, and he remembered that almost 70 years later,” Kelley said. “It set him on course to appreciate and live his Catholic faith. It was a grounding point from which so many things became possible.”
The Lee McGuiness Endowment Fund was created in June 2021 with a $22,872 annuity. The money will remain invested so it can grow over time and will also generate income annually for the Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association.
The association encourages alumni involvement in the school to support its educational mission and provide alumni with social activities and opportunities for spiritual enrichment.
“There are so many different ways for people who are putting together estate plans to create something that will become part of their legacy – and help the Church for years to come,” Kelley said. “Setting aside an annuity is a great option because it will provide retirement income while you’re alive and then become a gift that will continue to grow for the benefit of parishioners who follow.”
— SueAnn Howell
Fund an endowment
Interested in setting up – or adding to – an endowment to benefit your parish or Catholic school? You can establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities.
For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..