When Rohn Rookstool made up his mind to do something, he typically followed through. The same single-minded focus served him well during his career as an aerospace engineer. Later, he applied it to amassing a collection of Ford automobiles.

Rookstool succumbed to cancer in 2019, but not before setting up a testamentary trust with help from estate planning attorney Bill Lemann of Fullerton, Lemann, Schaefer & Dominick, LLP. Lemann serves as the advisor for the Rohn Rookstool Estate Fund, which is managed by IECF. In 2022, the Fund contributed $20,000 to the FRieNDS of VETERANS Fund, an IECF Signature Fund designed to benefit veterans in the Inland Empire.

Born in 1947, Rookstool grew up in the Carson/Long Beach area, where his father also worked as an aerospace engineer, setting an example that he would follow. He was an only child and never married, so Rookstool had no immediate descendants.

He was a devoted son who retired early to care for his dad, who was suffering from dementia. After his father’s death, Rookstool decided he’d like to live in Lake Arrowhead. He sold his Orange County home and launched another life chapter.

Rookstool enjoyed living in the San Bernardino Mountains. He had the time and space to pursue his passion for Ford automobiles and collect several rare editions.

When he was diagnosed with a fast-moving cancer, Rookstool had to make some quick decisions. In an earlier estate plan, Rookstool had designated funds for guide dog organizations. “It was a lovely mission,” Lemann says. “But then Mr. Rookstool was touched by stories he was hearing from veterans coming back from the war in Afghanistan. He realized there was very little in the way of services for veterans in the Inland Empire.”

It cheered Rookstool to know proceeds from the estate fund set up in his name would help veterans in San Bernardino and Riverside counties access essential services. A testamentary trust enables Rookstool — and inspires others like him — to be philanthropic in perpetuity.