On June 9, the Forefront Living Foundation (FLF) honored the life and legacy of Charlotte Test, longtime friend and generous supporter of the organization, with a re-dedication of the Spiritual Care Center at the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center. The space, now named The Charlotte and Don Test Spiritual Care Center, reflects the enduring impact of Charlotte and Don’s faith, generosity and compassion for others.
The program, followed by a special luncheon, celebrated the Test family’s legacy and the ways their quiet giving shaped many lives. Sarah Jones, FLF Philanthropy Officer and a close friend of Charlotte’s, offered personal remarks, describing Charlotte as a woman of grace, strength and kindness.
Born in Hillsboro, Texas, in 1927, Charlotte experienced sorrow early in life, including the tragic loss of her young son Andy, and later the loss of her first husband Andrew. Even through immense grief, she carried herself with grace and cared deeply for others. In time, she found love again with Donald N. Test, Jr. (Don) and together they lived a life marked with intentional generosity. After Don’s passing in 2016, Charlotte continued their mission of serving others with compassion.
Charlotte believed that the beauty of creation is one of the strongest ways God speaks to us. Through a landscape endowment, she ensured the grounds of the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center would remain a sanctuary of peace, beauty and healing for generations to come. For Charlotte, true community meant being seen, accepted and safe.
That spirit of community lives on in the Charlotte and Don Test Spiritual Care Center, an inclusive space open to all faiths and backgrounds, offering a haven to find comfort and feel a sense of belonging in life’s most difficult moments.
Diane Fullingim, FLF Executive Director shared about the occasion, “It has been such a special and beautiful day honoring a wonderful couple. The FLF team spent much time, consideration and love planning an event that exemplified our deep gratitude for the Tests. Charlotte served on the FLF Board of Directors and was a Legacy Society member. Her quote inscribed on the commemorative bronze plaque defines who she was as a person: Care, compassion and concern—the little things that make so much difference.”
Though Charlotte is no longer with us, her legacy continues. She showed us how to live with intention: to speak gently, give generously and build bridges of compassion. In remembering Charlotte, we are reminded that love is often expressed in quiet acts offered with great care like planting hope, lifting a spirit and creating spaces where all can belong.
Watch the Test Dedication video below.
