For decades, the late Larry and Sue Ingram quietly shaped their community through steady hard work, humble living, and a deep desire to help others. Known by many for their care and generosity, the couple built successful careers while raising a family — Larry rising from a McDonald’s crew member to Dallas regional manager and later owner-operator of 23 restaurants, and Sue building a thriving real estate brokerage and investment business across North Texas.
The Ingrams lived simply, believing that “you should always live on less than you make, so that you always have something to give.” “Giving was woven into every part of their lives. From supporting family members and employees facing hardship to responding to needs at their church, Larry and Sue, known to many as “Mama Sue,” consistently stepped in to help, often anonymously. Their generosity was constant and personal, whether quietly supporting church projects, funding the education of others, or assisting friends in crisis.
When they began planning their estate, they discovered that their wealth had grown into something much larger than they imagined, and they wanted the majority of it to be dedicated to helping others. Working with estate attorney Paul Tagg of the Law Office of Paul F. Tagg, and wealth advisor Debra Brennan Tagg, president of BFS Advisory Group, they realized that the size of their estate meant that they needed a long-term, carefully managed philanthropic approach.
That realization brought them to Communities Foundation of Texas. “CFT provides the backbone that’s often hard to build in a large estate plan,” Paul said. “It gives families like Larry and Sue a way to structure charitable support for the organizations they love forever without having to create a private foundation.”
The Tagg family has a donor-advised fund at CFT, so they knew firsthand the experience we would bring to their clients. After meeting with CFT in 2016, Larry and Sue knew they had found the right partner and quickly established the Ingram Family Legacy Fund, an endowed fund through their estate that would ensure their support will continue year after year for the causes they cared about.
“They had this vision of wanting to help as many people as possible. There’s story after story about the depths of their generosity,” said Debra. “They were very generous, but very private,” added Paul. “The comfort in knowing their plan was established and in place through their estate was a great relief to them.”
The Ingrams designated six nonprofit beneficiaries deeply connected to their lives, and the organizations will receive gifts annually, versus all at once. “Their gifts are now this continuous sprinkling of goodness on the missions they really cared about,” said Debra.
Their grandson, David Floyd, who models his own work ethic after Larry and Sue, believes they would be deeply proud of the difference they continue to make. “They always tried to help anyone they could. They will be helping so many people long after we’re all gone, for decades to come.” David also shared that it’s likely that Larry and Sue might not have fully realized the scale of the impact their estate gifts would make—an impact that will now continue in perpetuity. “I think they would be so happy,” he said.
Through thoughtful planning and a lifetime of generosity, Larry and Sue have created a legacy that continues to strengthen the community they loved, quietly and faithfully, just as they did during their lives together.
Learn more about legacy planning through CFT here.
This story was originally featured in our 2025 annual report. For additional details and content, click here.
