When we first met her, briefly, amidst the hubbub of Divine Mercy Care’s 2018 Gala, we already knew that we were encountering one of the most remarkable donors our organization had ever seen. Sitting down to talk with Kay Crnkovich shortly before Thanksgiving, we learned much more about the scope of her giving
Happily ensconced in her daughter Jean’s sunny living room, surrounded by the bustlingsabout of three generations of family members, 93-year-old Kay presided as the undisputed matriarch of the Crnkovich tribe. Although the Marquette graduate moved to Virginia only five years ago, her contribution to Tepeyac OB/GYN has resulted in the breaking of a record. More of her descendants have been delivered by Tepeyac than have those of anyone else in the practice’s nearly 25-year history.
Members of the large and abundantly faithfilled Catholic family to which Kay gave birth have, in their turn, given their trust and their healthcare allegiance to Tepeyac OB/GYN and their monetary donations to Divine Mercy Care. With the help of daughter Jean and after a great deal of naming, remembering, and calculating, Kay came up with a total for us of just how many Crnkovich progeny we’re talking about. The result? An astonishing thirty-three of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were delivered by Tepeyac doctors!
Kay’s daughter Jean was, in fact, the first to know Dr. Bruchalski, having met him in the early eighties while he was still in medical school. Jean’s brother Bob Crnkovich, a lawyer, was instrumental in establishing Tepeyac OB/ GYN as a legal entity. Joe Crnkovich was the first of Kay’s sons to move to the Northern Virginia area with his job at Naval Systems; Bill followed, destined for an assignment with IBM. Bob arrived in 1986; Ed came later to attend George Mason University. These and other facts of Crnkovich family members’ arrivals in the area, marriages, children and grandchildren peppered the conversation as Kay’s school-age descendants helped their mothers nearby. As we spoke, we recognized the sturdy piece of whole family cloth that had been woven from these many threads of connection—and we understood better the great depth and variety of Crnkovich contributions to Divine Mercy Care.
A few of Kay’s grandchildren were introduced to us. They were aware, it seemed, of the strong ties between their family, Tepeyac OB/ GYN, and Divine Mercy Care. To us, meeting them, it seemed likely that they will continue that tradition. If matriarch Kay, who clearly still commands so prominent a place in their affection and respect, has anything to do with it—they will.