Linard Golf Outing celebrates 20th anniversary of funding scholarships

In 2023, for the twentieth consecutive year, 100 or more golfers gathered to play a scramble golf outing to benefit the Mary Linard Memorial Scholarship Endowment. The endowment provides at least one $1,500 - $2,500 scholarship to a MCCN student each year.

Mary Louise Linard was a 1946 graduate of the Mount Carmel School of Nursing, now MCCN, and worked for 42 years at Mount Carmel West. Each of her eight children was born there and several of those children, including her son Jim, worked there with her.

Jim Linard, Mary’s fifth-born of her eight children, has organized and produced the outing each year to honor the memory and wishes of his mother to support MCCN.

“My mother held the whole of Mount Carmel and the Sisters of the Holy Cross in such high regard. They were so important to her and played such an important role in her life,” said Jim. “And she had a real sense of duty and dedication to Mount Carmel, so we were not surprised to learn that she wanted us to support nursing students, as well as other faith-based education, when she was gone.”

Mom was just a caring person,” says Jim. “That’s just who she was.” Jim noted that Mary may have been influenced to become a nurse by world events, given that she graduated from high school during World War II, when professional nursing took giant leaps forward in prominence and value to society.

Many of the Linard family’s experiences – especially during Jim’s childhood – centered around family, Mount Carmel and the Catholic church. “Mom loved midnight mass in the chapel at Mount Carmel West. She’d have us – her four youngest rugrats – in tow to attend that special service each year,” he said. “I got to work with her here, in the emergency department, during my time at Mount Carmel West and was able to see her caring attributes firsthand.”

Jim worked at MCW for 11 years, leaving for a new position elsewhere, in 1988, the same year Mary Linard retired from nursing. Three of Mary’s daughters – Amy, Mary Beth, and Patti – all worked at Mount Carmel West, too. Patti spent 30 years with Mount Carmel before retiring from the system. Mary’s daughter Judy, also a nurse, worked in southern Ohio.

In 2002, when Mary Linard passed away, Jim and his siblings founds ways to honor her wish to continue to support Mount Carmel, as well as the Catholic schools they attended in central Ohio. The inaugural golf outing was held in 2003 at the New Albany Links course, has moved to other venues throughout central Ohio, and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

“Many MCCN alumni and friends have played in the outing over the years,” says Jim. “Both Ann Schiele and Doug Stein were instrumental in starting this tradition and continued to support it. Ann brought a celebrity foursome with her one year. It included Ellen Tressel, Kathy Sullivan, and Lynn Asensio, lending a little ‘star power’ to the event,” he adds.

An all-volunteer team, including Jim’s younger brother Frank and sister Amy, keep costs low and allow all of the proceeds to benefit the worthy causes players are there to support. “Many players come back year after year and those who participate have shared that they look forward to it and enjoy the opportunity to join us every year,” says Jim. “We do our best to keep costs down and provide a great experience, with a nice course, prizes, dinner, and lots of fun. We’re grateful for the 20 years that we’ve had and are looking forward to continuing to hosting this outing and supporting MCCN students with more scholarships to help them achieve their dreams. This is the best and most rewarding way to celebrate and honor my mother’s legacy here.”