Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/670198
ATRON PROFILES PATRONS | Spring 2016 20 A s a boy, O. Allen Alpay's father would regularly ask his son if he could borrow back $20 he had previously paid him as allowance. His father would later return the money to Alpay, plus 100% interest. "I thought he was running out of money, but he was trying to set an example about how money should be used and put to work," Alpay says. "I was very lucky to have great parents. More than anything else, they taught me to strive to be the best in everything—from education to life in general. I was raised to be independent, as well as self-sufficient. Back then there were no handouts." Alpay's father would regularly assign him odd jobs, such as changing the antifreeze in the family car. As a result, Alpay learned what he calls "a must" for success in life—how to be "a doer." He did everything he could to earn extra spending money, from busing tables on Coney Island after he graduated from high school, to waiting at the gates of canneries in Sunnyvale, California at 6 a.m. to pick up work during summer breaks in college. Today at 81, Alpay is redirecting that work ethic toward a new priority—giving back to his community. In December of 2015, Torrance Memorial Medical Center announced a $10 million gift by Alpay to name the O. Allen Alpay East Wing, which houses Torrance Memorial's Emergency Department and Labor and Delivery unit. e donation was inspired in part by a stay at the medical center following spine surgery. "On many occasions, I—and members of our family—have used the services of Torrance Memorial. We are always very impressed with the care we receive, especially from the nursing staff," Alpay says. "When the opportunity presented itself to name the East Wing, I was very happy to do what I believed was my responsibility as a community member. Each day the East Wing celebrates the birth of a whole new set of lives in the Labor and Delivery unit, while saving many others in its Emergency Department." He continues, "A donation to this world class organization seemed to be the right thing to do." Alpay has always had a keen sense for the next right thing to do. He set out with "no particular dream or certain goals," but instead focused on creating success one step at a time. He excelled at virtually every subject in school, including art and architecture. "All of my high school teachers thought I would go to medical school. I was good in biology and science, but I couldn't stand the sight of blood," he says. It was literally a coin flip that determined his future. Upon graduation, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, a Stanford University-educated engineer, and set out for the University of Texas in Austin to pursue a degree in engineering. "I was a big fan of movies and westerns with cowboys playing guitars and wearing white hats," he says. "I had this romantic notion about Texas that turned out to be completely different from reality. At that time Austin was a one-horse town with just 7,000 students. ere wasn't much social life." O. Allen Alpay and Ruthie are intent on leaving a legacy to local health care.