From personal experience, Richard and Selma Ehrlich understand the urgency of City of Hope’s mission.

Not only has the couple lost friends and family to cancer, but Richard Ehrlich himself is a survivor of the disease. After physicians diagnosed him with bone cancer in 1979, they removed his right humerus — a bone running from the shoulder to the elbow — and replaced it with a prosthesis. He was only the third patient to undergo the surgery at New York City-Presbyterian Hospital.

Richard and Selma Ehrlich

“Anyone whose life is touched by cancer or diabetes or AIDS will be able to understand the fantastic work being performed at City of Hope,” said Richard Ehrlich, a member of the Ambassador Leadership Council. “My wife and I believe in it, as one of the few truly comprehensive institutions: from idea to cure, and very caring to patients. It’s just a wonderful, wonderful place.”

The Ehrlichs, now of Highland Beach, Fla., have been devoted advocates of City of Hope since first joining the Woodmont Chapter in 1988. They recently augmented their already generous support — more than $140,000 in donations — by setting up a $100,000 gift annuity. Through the annuity, they not only boost research and treatment at City of Hope, but also reap the benefits of a tax deduction and guaranteed lifetime income.

“We felt that at this point in our lives we wanted to do something a bit more special,” he said. “We just wanted to do something more.”

The Ehrlichs, married more than 53 years, are retirees who enjoy travel and the opera. For nearly 39 years, Richard Ehrlich worked for Gibbs & Cox Inc., a naval architectural firm, rising from junior designer to chair of the board. He enjoys photography, while his wife, a retired travel agent, is a voracious reader. They have three children: Elise; Janice and son-in-law Scott; and Steven and daughter-in-law Monica. Their four grandchildren are Alyssa, Lauren, Cory and Alexa.