A farmer’s son helps clients leave a legacy
Jerry Balentine learned the importance of hard work alongside his father at his family’s dairy farm in rural Garvin County. As a teen, even summer vacations centered around tilling the soil, planting the crops, caring for livestock and maintaining the dairy operation.
Today, it’s hard to imagine Balentine milking cows and slopping hogs. An attorney who’s spent more than four decades helping clients create estate plans, he now favors dark suits and starched shirts (but no tie). Still, the lessons he learned during his childhood in south central Oklahoma have carried him through life and helped him find purpose and success in his career.
“You learn a lot about people when living in a small town like Maysville,” Balentine says. “I have been truly blessed with people who believed in me and wanted me to be successful. That was such a powerful influence, and it’s led me to try to remember to do the same for others.”
After spending his early years on the farm, Balentine decided to choose a path different from his father’s. At the University of Oklahoma, he earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and eventually opened his own pharmacy. While he enjoyed the work, he found he wanted something that brought him closer to people and their families. So at 32, he enrolled at the Oklahoma City University School of Law; he opened his own law office following graduation.
Today, he’s beginning his 42nd year of practicing law. His work centers around helping people create plans to protect their assets and their families in the event of disability or death. “When I sit down with clients, we talk about everything they own and the people they care about,” he says. “That’s an incredible opportunity.”
When clients express an interest in leaving a gift to charity, especially a health-related cause, he will encourage them to consider adding OMRF to their wills or trusts.
“Because of my education and experience in working in pharmacy, I understand the importance of research,” he says. “Many of the breakthroughs in medical care would not have happened without organizations like OMRF. There are no easy answers, but research delivers a huge return on investment. Because OMRF is here in Oklahoma, it feels much more personal.”
With three particularly painful losses in his life—siblings lost to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s—Balentine doesn’t just encourage others to give. He and his law firm, Evans & Davis, PLLC, also make frequent donations to OMRF in memory of a client, friend or colleague who has passed away.
Balentine made his first donation to OMRF in 1978. Since that time, he and the firm have continued that legacy, making more than 1,000 gifts to the foundation.
“Giving to OMRF just seems like a respectful way to remember our clients and families during a challenging time,” he says. “It reminds all of us that something good can come from very painful and difficult times. Families seem to really appreciate gifts made in honor of their loved ones.”
In his career, Balentine has created more than 3,000 estate plans for families and individuals, most in central Oklahoma. He continues to enjoy a deep passion for his work. “Over the years I have been privileged to work for some of the greatest people and have been allowed to share in protecting their loved ones,” he says.
In the end, he says, the choices we make in the estate planning process speak volumes about who we are. “We feel like OMRF is a safe place and is worthy of consideration when clients think about including a charity as part of their legacy. The documents we help clients create will be read long after all of us are gone, and our families will be reminded of what was important to us.”
