An Education That Opened Doors

Both Edward Zakaib, M.D., and his wife, Jill, have special connections to the MCV Campus. 

Dr. Zakaib earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia, graduating in 1962. Jill delivered her four children at the hospital before the two found each other 26 years ago.

“We both have a special connection,” Dr. Zakaib said. “For me, the education and training I received is an ongoing inspiration for me to give back.” 

Dr. Zakaib’s father arrived in the U.S. as a teenager after immigrating from Syria in 1915. He instilled in each of his children a deep respect and appreciation for education and opportunity in America. It’s a value that Dr. Zakaib also imparted to his children, including John Zakaib, M.D., a 1999 alum of the VCU School of Medicine, who practices electrophysiology with the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute.

It's always a good feeling when you do something for somebody else, even if it's just to make them smile.

Edward Zakaib, M.D., VCU School of Medicine, Class of 1962

During the Korean War, Dr. Zakaib worked in electronic countermeasures and flew as a crewman on a B-36 bomber, helping maintain devices designed to help aircraft trick or deceive enemy radar and other detection systems.

“I had been sort of doing some organized floundering for seven years trying to really find what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go,” Dr. Zakaib said. “I decided when I was discharged from the U.S. Air Force, I was going to go to college and study something.”

While he initially thought he’d continue into a career in electronics after completing his service, several of his cousins were pre-med students persuaded him to consider a career in medicine. He used his benefits under the G.I. Bill coupled with a merit scholarship to pursue medicine. 

“I’ve been so lucky,” Dr. Zakaib said. “I came to college later in life after serving in the military and fell in love with the courses I took in pre-med.”

At MCV, he was deeply influenced by the faculty.

“The teachers really stand out for me,” Dr. Zakaib said, citing the memories of legendary faculty like Drs. Robert Irby and Duncan Owen. “They were just as concerned about what we wanted to learn in addition to being kind and thoughtful. There was always a feeling at MCV that everybody wants to help — everybody wants to make sure you become the best person you can be.”

For many years, Dr. Zakaib and Jill have supported the VCU School of Medicine’s annual fund through leadership gifts to help provide student scholarships. Recently, they established a charitable gift annuity by donating appreciated stock. In return, they will receive guaranteed income for life while also providing future support for students at the VCU School of Medicine. The two are members of the MCV Society, which honors donors who have made a planned gift to benefit any college, school or unit on the MCV Campus. 

“We were in a position where we wanted to give back to support coming generations,” said Dr. Zakaib, who celebrated his 94th birthday in April. “I was able to have the career I had because of both the G.I. Bill and receiving a scholarship, and I’d like to continue paying that forward to future generations.”

The couple said the process was easy, and they received good guidance about the ways this type of gift may benefit their goals and needs while providing tax advantages.

“We had very helpful conversations with the planned giving team, and it was relatively simple and straightforward,” Dr. Zakaib said. “Jason Chestnutt was a very helpful resource and facilitated the process along the way to make it easy for me and Jill. That was a big motivator — he was always available and very knowledgeable.”

Dr. Zakaib wants to encourage people to give back to support students training in health care professions.

“It's always a good feeling when you do something for somebody else, even if it's just to make them smile,” Dr. Zakaib said. “But it feels especially good to know our gift can help make a student feel less stressed about the debt of these education and training expenses and to be able to spend more time doing something for their patients, or spend more time helping a classmate on a difficult test coming up.”

If you would like to learn more about how to support the MCV Campus through a planned gift, please contact Jason Chestnutt, CFP®, executive director of planned giving for the MCV Campus, at 804-828-1671 or chestnuttjr@vcu.edu.