UC Irvine medical students exemplify the future of healthcare, supported by the generosity of dedicated donors like Bob and Sylvia Mapel. Photo: Steve Zylius, UC Irvine
UC Irvine medical students exemplify the future of healthcare, supported by the generosity of dedicated donors like Bob and Sylvia Mapel. Photo: Steve Zylius, UC Irvine
Longtime Orange County residents Robert (Bob) Mapel and his wife, Sylvia, first learned about the incredible research taking place at UC Irvine after reading an article in the local newspaper. The story sparked Bob’s curiosity and inspired him and his wife to give back to their community.
A trained mechanical engineer and alumnus of Stanford University and Cal Tech, Bob had a penchant for innovation, research and discovery. He also was extremely passionate about the power of education to transform a person’s life. After Bob’s tremendously successful career as a private business owner of a hydraulics company and the inventor of a special hydraulic boat lift, the Mapels decided they wanted to leave a legacy through charitable giving.
Private and modest individuals, the Mapels didn’t boast about their philanthropy to friends and family. Instead, they began a quiet, longtime partnership as donors to the UC Irvine School of Medicine. In 2018, they established the Robert and Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Endowment to provide seed funding for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the School of Medicine.
“My aunt and uncle just loved the neighborhood. They loved Newport and Irvine and Orange County, and felt like it was their home, their community,” said Lynda Knowlton, co-trustee of the Mapel Family Trust and niece of the late Bob and Sylvia Mapel. Sylvia passed away in February 2023 and Robert passed away in August 2023 at the age of 99.
“My uncle loved watching younger people learn and grow through proper education. He and my aunt were very generous people. Getting to meet the students motivated him to see the good that UC Irvine could do in the community,” Lynda said.
A highlight of Bob’s life took place when he toured research labs at UC Irvine and heard directly from the researchers who had benefited from the Robert and Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Endowment.
“He came home and said ‘These kids are going to solve some of the big challenges. They’re going to take care of this world. I’m proud of them,'” Lynda said. “It’s inspiring. He was just so impressed with what the researchers shared with him.”
“He came home and said, ‘These kids are going to solve some of the big challenges. They’re going to take care of this world.”
As part of the Mapel family’s final wishes, an endowment of over $9.5 million was established through their estate, continuing support of pioneering research projects and establishing a new endowment to fund medical education scholarships for low-income students.
“The school has gone above and beyond to show my family such kindness, and we just appreciate it so much,” Lynda said. “We’re very thankful for the UC Irvine staff through this process. Not only were they good stewards of their wishes, but they became friends with my aunt and uncle. Their faces lit up when they saw a real friend and we knew they could trust the UCI team, keeping them abreast of what’s going on with their money and making sure their wishes were met.”
Through planned giving, the Mapels have left a lasting legacy of generosity fueling research, innovation and education now and for generations to come.
Please contact our Office of Planned Giving at (949) 824-5820 or giftplan@uci.edu if you have any questions or would like a confidential, no-obligation, personalized discussion on how these and other strategies may be a good fit for your tax planning and philanthropic goals.
