Tribute to Our Founder
The board and staff of the Cherokee Strip Community Foundation were saddened to learn of the death of Tim Traynor, who passed away August 17th at the age of 78. He was instrumental in the launch and long-term success of CSCF.
What started out as conversations with potential donors was only made possible because of Tim’s tireless efforts and commitment to the Enid community. He was the ultimate community collaborator and convener and was the perfect candidate to serve as a founding board member for CSCF in 2000.
He severed several terms as a board member, throughout the last 22 years and served as Board President in 2007 and again in 2016. Tim was appointed to serve on the board indefinitely as an Emeritus Members in 2019. His wisdom and institutional knowledge will be missed in our board room.
Details of his funeral services and obituary can be found here. The family asks for memorials to CSCF where our board has voted to create The Timothy R Traynor Memorial Endowment Fund.
As an unrestricted endowment, Tim’s fund will address the ever-changing community needs – including future needs that cannot be anticipated. The flexibility of this fund enables the community foundation’s board and staff to respond to the community’s most pressing needs, today and tomorrow. Tim’s legacy will live on forever to benefit our community.
Here is an excerpt from one of Tim’s speeches about the Community Foundation: “Forever is a concept most of us have difficulty grasping, especially as it relates to our own actions. Is it possible that a decision we make today will have an impact on generations yet to be born? How can we understand the meaning of permanent, lasting, and enduring?”
“What a man does for himself dies with him. What he does for his community lives long after he is gone.” - Theodore Roosevelt
The Enid Community Foundation for Excellence was established in 2000 with the intent of improving the quality of life for not only the residents of Enid but also those in Northwest Oklahoma. Initially, the Enid Community Foundation was funded by a $1.8 million challenge match from the Sisters of Mercy. Over the past 22 years the foundation has acquired more than $32 million in assets and distributes more than $1 million in grants and scholarships annually. In 2009, we changed our name to the Cherokee Strip Community Foundation as we serve all of Northwest Oklahoma.