The Powerful Legacy of a Simple Life

Mike Sollom (left) and Don Hubbs

A life’s legacy is frequently defined by a person’s accomplishments and the impact they have on their community. Legacy is often distilled to professional credentials, positions of authority acquired, or the size of bank accounts.  


Others would assert that a person’s true legacy, however, is much more than the outward trappings of success traditionally celebrated in our culture. There is a case to be made for defining a person’s legacy as “acts of kindness done well, and without expectation of reward or recognition, that find a special place in people's hearts and that are the most important.” (Rhys Jack, “What is a Great Legacy?”)


By this definition, Mike Sollom and Don Hubbs left a legacy both impressive and transformational.


Mike and Don moved to Henderson County from Southern California in the mid-1990s. Don was a World War II veteran who had been stationed for a time at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville. During his time there, he had the opportunity to visit western North Carolina and he never forgot the beauty and sense of peace he discovered here. Decades later, when the time came for Don and Mike to consider a place to retire, they agreed that Henderson County would be a good place to spend the last chapter of their lives together.


That choice, as it turns out, was to the great benefit of our community.


Don was a native of New Jersey and Mike hailed from North Dakota.  The two moved to southern California in the early 1950s where their paths crossed and love bloomed. Their initial friendship evolved into a committed lifetime partnership that lasted 64 years until Don’s death in 2016. When they moved to Hendersonville in the mid-1990s they purchased land, designed and built their dream home in the Crab Creek community with a majestic view of Pinnacle Mountain.  It was here they would live out the remainder of their lives.


Once in North Carolina, the partners established a circle of friends and enjoyed entertaining on holidays and other special occasions. They embraced western North Carolina as their new home and thoroughly enjoyed and took advantage of the many amenities.  Their good friend, Theo Sitton, described the couple as “ordinary guys that enjoyed the simple things of life."  “There was no ostentation with these two," he recalls.  "They were frugal and enjoyed shopping for treasures and clothing at thrift shops, yard and estate sales.  Bargain hunting was one of their favorite pastimes.”


The partners were among Ryan Harman’s first clients when he arrived in Henderson County in 1998 to pursue his career as a Financial Advisor. With time, their relationship morphed from a professional association into a true friendship. “Mike would light up the room. He always had a big smile on his face and he was always interested in hearing about you. He was just fun to be around.”  Ryan also remembers Mike as the “dirty gardener.”  “Mike used to tell me that the dirtier he was, the happier he was,” Ryan recalls with a laugh.  “He was the happiest when he was outside doing something.”


Ryan knew Don as more reserved and business-minded, but still a very kind and interesting person. “He was extremely intelligent. We used to have in-depth conversations about world events, politics, and finance. That was completely opposite from Mike. Mike wanted to talk about his azaleas.”

Pasture and Goat Barn at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

In 2016, Don passed away at the age of 92.  Mike’s health was also compromised and later in life, he dealt with issues related to dementia. It was during this time that he especially enjoyed visiting the goat barn at Carl Sandburg Historic Home National Park.  Both men considered Connemara to be one of the crown jewels in Henderson County.  Mike loved petting the goats and his time at the barn and in the pastures brought much comfort to him. His passion for the goats was such that he was on a list of people who were immediately notified when new baby goats were born in the spring. 


It was the partners' affinity for Sandburg that led to a decision to leave their estate to the park upon Mike’s passing.  Ryan Harman thinks the decision made a lot of sense. “Mike was a gentle guy who appreciated nature’s beauty. Whether it was plants or flowers or animals. He really appreciated things that a lot of people take for granted. He found a lot of solitude and life purpose in those little goats.”


When Mike Sollom passed away in January of 2021, Theo Sitton qualified as executor of the estate and reached out to The Friends of Carl Sandburg to let them know the estate had been bequeathed to their organization.  In June, Theo met with FOCS board members, Ellen Sugarman and John Berglin in Theo’s apartment at Carolina Village. What they learned was, to put it mildly, very unexpected.


With a dramatic flair, Theo laid out three objects on a table to present to the Friends. The first item was a men’s grooming kit that had been in the partners' safe deposit box. Ellen and John were gracious but somewhat puzzled at that point.


The second item turned out to be a coin collection assembled through the years by Mike and Don. Theo explained that the value of the gold, silver and antique coins was approximately $14,000. The Friends’ representatives were thrilled and their thoughts turned to all the good that could be done for the park with this amazingly generous gift.


Theo then turned to the third item which was a plain white envelope. Before handing the envelope to Ellen and John, Theo asked what exactly the Friends did for the Park. The board members explained that they raised funds to support programming and services at Sandburg which are not covered by the Park’s federally funded budget. They also explained that from time to time they would help purchase new goats for the Sandburg herd.  Theo inquired as to the average cost of a goat. “It’s usually around $200,” was the reply.


Theo picked up the envelope and handed it to Ellen and John. “Well,” he said with a smile, “I think you will be able to buy a lot of goats with this.”  They opened the envelope and discovered a check sufficient to purchase approximately 2,650 goats. The check from the estate of Mike Sollom and Don Hubbs was in excess of $500,000.


The overwhelming generosity of the gift from Mike and Don opens a lot of opportunities for the Friends of Carl Sandburg. According to Ellen Sugarman, the gift will benefit the Park and its visitors for generations to come.  Much of the money has already been placed in an endowed fund managed by The Community Foundation of Henderson County. Income derived from the fund will be used to support future activities undertaken by the Friends.  


Activities supported by the Friends include education initiatives and free children’s programming, enhanced visitor services, family-friendly special events, as well as historical, literary and cultural education programs and traveling resource materials for teachers, students, and the visiting public.  The Friends also help protect the Park’s unique cultural and literary artifacts, landscapes, and trails while working to help preserve the beautiful land, buildings, goat herd breeding program, botanical and horticultural assets of the Park.  


A portion of the bequest has also been set aside to provide scholarships to students from Henderson County interested in studying animal husbandry or environmental stewardship. Going forward, the Friends will continue to explore additional scholarship opportunities.  Ultimately, the gift will provide the Friends with many more options to help The Park and contribute to the quality of life in our community. “It provides a level of financial security that we’ve never had before,” explains Ellen. “We will, of course, continue to fundraise and will point to Mike and Don as a wonderful example of the power of legacy gifts.”

Baby goats at Sandburg


Ryan Harman thinks the bequest perfectly represents the kindness and character of his clients and friends.  “Mike was determined to make sure that the money he and Don accumulated during their lives would continue to live beyond them - to create a legacy that they both would have been proud of.”   


Ryan is also pleased that the gift will help our community understand the quality of the people who made the gift.  “I wish more people had known Mike and Don when they were alive. They were awfully good people. People who knew them were better off for that fact.”


Legacy, often associated with death, is in truth very much about life and living. Ultimately, Mike Sollom and Don Hobbs’ legacy in our community will be their final act of gentle kindness and extreme generosity given without the expectation of reward or recognition. Their legacy will be the many gifts their kind hearts and gentle souls have facilitated to help improve our world for generations to come.


That’s certainly a legacy worth celebrating.