Witheringtons lasting commitment strengthens AU’s future

For Bob and Leza Witherington, supporting Augusta University isn’t a single act of generosity; it’s a lifelong commitment that touches many parts of campus life.

Their dedication to the Department of Communication in the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and to medical students in the Medical College of Georgia, as well as their ties to AU Cheerleading and men’s basketball, reflect the deep professional and personal relationships they have built over the decades.

Now, the Witheringtons are ensuring their impact will continue for generations. They have made a planned gift that will divide their estate equally among four endowments reflecting the causes closest to their hearts: the Bob and Leza Witherington MCG White Coat Support Endowment, which provides first‑year medical students with an MCG‑branded white coat; the Bob and Leza Witherington AU Men’s Basketball Endowment, which supports scholarships and team needs; the Bob and Leza Witherington AU Cheerleading Endowment, which funds programmatic support; and the Bob and Leza Witherington AU Department of Communication Scholarship Endowment, a need‑based scholarship for full‑time communication students, with preference for first‑generation college students.

“We’re fond of education. Students need all the help they can get nowadays, and we don’t have any children of our own,” Bob explained.

Leza, a faithful AU employee for more than two decades, went a step further to describe their advocacy for AU students.

“We’ve had ‘adopted’ children over the years, kids that I met through the Department of Communication and through cheerleading, who stayed with us, and who we’ve helped through other things,” she said.

Leza has served in multiple departments during her nearly 25 years, from Alumni Engagement and the Department of Communication to the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs Office, and now the Registrar’s Office.

Her involvement with the university extends well beyond her professional role, and Bob is right beside her, volunteering at university events and causes. Leza was an active member of the cheerleading staff from October 2021 through the 2023-24 basketball season, having previously served as head coach until 2018, leading the team to a 2018 Peach Belt Conference Spirit Competition win, and later advising the program until 2024. A dedicated mentor and enthusiastic supporter of AU men’s basketball, she and Bob rarely miss a chance to cheer on the Jaguars – whether on the sidelines or behind the scenes.

“Leza is the kind of volunteer everyone hopes for,” said Gia Johnson, director of Protocol and Special Events. “She is reliable, enthusiastic and genuinely a joy to work with. She is a familiar presence at campus events and always goes above and beyond. Leza and her husband are incredible supporters of AU, and their passion for our students, especially cheerleaders and AU Athletics, shines through in everything they do.”

Bob graduated from the Academy of Richmond County, then attended Middle Georgia College, Augusta College and ultimately earned a degree in Electromechanical Engineering Technology from Augusta Technical College in 1987. From there, he built a career focused on improving mobility and accessibility – first at A+ Medical, where he crafted advanced power wheelchairs, custom pediatric seating and voice‑activated home controls. Later at Eagle Parts & Products, he helped design electric mobility carts for major retailers and even engineered a specialized golf cart that allowed a disabled player to stand.

Since retiring in 2021, that same hands‑on, people‑first spirit has shaped his volunteer life, whether he’s helping friends with home projects, doing small handyman jobs for a local designer throughout the year or serving as a counselor for children with cancer at Camp Rainbow.

“Bob has been volunteering for Camp Rainbow for several summers,” said Kimberly Allen, the director of Camp Rainbow and manager of Child Life Services at Wellstar Golisano Children’s Hospital of Georgia. “He is a counselor for the teen boys and is so patient, understanding, calm and a great leader. He helps the teens forget about their cancer diagnosis and just be kids for the week, enjoying typical summer camp activities.”

His work with Camp Rainbow is another tangible example of how the Witheringtons pour their time and generosity into supporting AU – this time through selfless involvement with the children’s hospital.

The couple’s bond to AU also carries a meaningful family history. Bob’s father, the late Roy Witherington, MD, was a proud alumnus of the Medical College of Georgia. A 1953 MCG graduate, Witherington completed his internship at the Army and Navy General Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas, before returning to MCG in 1957 to begin his academic career, ultimately serving as chief of Urology for 23 years. Witherington was devoted to his alma mater throughout his life, contributing more than $1 million to support medical student scholarships. He also demonstrated his generosity by naming a Learning Community room for medical students in the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Education Commons and by establishing the Roy Witherington, MD Chair in Urology to perpetually support faculty leaders in his field of practice.

Bob and Leza are honoring the Witherington legacy by providing sustained support for MCG and its students through their named white coat endowment.

“My father always gave every penny he could to the endowed chair he had at MCG, and he always thought MCG was very good to him,” Bob said. “He was also very good for MCG, as he was throughout his life. I think he’ll be happy with us doing this.”

The Bob and Leza Witherington endowments will also provide lasting support for student-athletes and communication students – extending the couple’s passion for Augusta University for generations.

“Bob and I have talked about this for years, and we always said that when we’re able, this is what we want to do,” Leza said. “We want to give back to the things that have been good to us, and to the people and things we care about. We’re thankful to MCG and Augusta University for everything they’ve given us over the years, and we wanted to give back in some way. We hope to continue doing so.”

If you would like to support a cause at Augusta University that you care about or learn more about planned giving and estate gifts, please email Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement or call 706-721-4001.