Annie McNab was born to a loving family in Paisley, Scotland, amid tumultuous economic conditions. Sadly, Annie’s father passed away from cancer when she was five years old. At age 20, like countless others seeking to improve their circumstances, Annie searched for employment abroad in domestic work to build a brighter future.
Florence and Herbert Irving had just moved from Manhattan to the Long Island suburb of Westbury with their two-year-old son, and Florence was pregnant with a second child. Florence and Herbert looked for a housekeeper—and found Annie, who boarded a ship to come work for them, joining her sister who was already in the US.
Annie provided loving support to the Irving children and parents alike. Her role transcended housekeeping when, following the birth of the Irvings’ third child, Ronald, Florence developed polio and was bedridden for months. Annie helped the Irvings navigate this difficult time. Ron recalls, “It was like I had two moms. Annie was a part of our family―there was really a sense we were all together, a single unit.”
She, Florence, and Herbert were often inseparable, and Annie remained a fixture in the children’s lives as they grew into adulthood. Cofounder of the groundbreaking company Sysco, Herbert had given Annie stock during the company’s early days, which she never sold. After Florence and Herbert moved back to Manhattan, Annie was also given the family home.
As she aged, Annie embraced the challenges and upkeep that came with home ownership. “She didn’t like to be helped; she was an experimenter,” Ron says. “Annie possessed an inner strength and sense of independence that only grew stronger as the years went on.”
Unfamiliar with much new technology, she still found ways to use modern devices. Ron notes, “Somehow, Annie figured out how to keep her computer running, how to reboot the modem … she was determined to do it all by herself.”
When Annie passed away in 2019, Ron, who was executor of her estate, discovered that as Sysco grew, the value of Annie’s portfolio had soared.
Through her estate, Annie quietly dedicated her fortune to cancer research, a cause close to her heart. Her father had battled the disease, and Florence and Herbert invested heavily in its research and treatment. Annie left very generous bequests to the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian and an institute in Glasgow, Scotland, for cancer research. “Annie could have lived quite a luxurious life,” Ron says, “but, instead, she chose to improve the lives of others.”
If you would like to learn more about planned giving at NewYork-Presbyterian, please contact the Planned Giving team at 646.317.7499 or [email protected].