All Angels Legacy

Retired educators Michael and Barbara York believe lifelong learning empowers teachers to become their best selves and better serve students and their families. That’s why they are committed to fostering ongoing development for generations of teachers at Saint Michael Episcopal School.

“One way to increase your skills and become more adept at teaching a wide variety of students is to keep learning,” Barbara says.

The couple, who have been members of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church for more than 30 years, recently made a planned gift to the All Angels Foundation to establish the Barbara A. and Michael L. York Fund for Faculty Excellence. The Fund supports local and national professional development opportunities for Saint Michael Episcopal School faculty, staff, and administrators to strengthen teaching, leadership, and formation.

For Barbara and Michael, choosing Saint Michael Episcopal School was deeply personal. Their connection to the Saint Michael community began through the school after they moved to Dallas in 1991. From 1991 to 1994, Barbara served as Head of Lower School at The St. Michael School, overseeing Beginners through first grade. Through her work at the school, the Yorks came to know the wider Saint Michael community, took the Inquirers Class, and ultimately made Saint Michael and All Angels their church home.

More than three decades later, their gift brings together parts of their lives that have long been intertwined: education, faith, and Saint Michael.

Early in their careers, the Yorks realized that educating young people would be their life’s work. Teaching ran in Michael’s family—his father was a college professor—but it wasn’t until he worked with high school students during graduate school that the pieces fell into place. Barbara, who had pursued and enjoyed education courses, became hooked on teaching during her first kindergarten class.

Both spent decades in education and leadership positions, drawing inspiration from teachers who modeled curiosity, compassion, inclusivity, and integrity. Those experiences shaped their belief that good teachers must continue learning throughout their careers.

They also understand how much is at stake during the earliest years of a child’s education. Barbara believes that what a child experiences at 5 years old may continue to shape that person at 16, 32, and beyond. Teachers during those formative years help children discover how they learn, model values and curiosity, and often become important partners to parents.

That belief helped inspire the Yorks to dedicate their planned gift to professional development. They hope educators, regardless of financial circumstances, will have access to graduate studies, workshops, specialized training, and other opportunities to deepen their knowledge and respond to the different ways children learn.

“Having a program that facilitates and gives priority to teachers continuing to learn and develop helps retain the teachers who are the most capable and most willing to help and support students,” Barbara says.

For the Yorks, investing in teachers is also an investment in families. Barbara has always thought of herself as a team member alongside parents and students. A teacher with greater experience and knowledge, she says, is better prepared not only to recognize what a child may need, but also to help parents understand and support their child’s development.

Barbara and Michael’s gift also reflects the values of respect, partnership, and faith that have defined their 47-year marriage.

“We work together as partners,” Barbara says.

For Barbara and Michael, legacy giving is less about the size of a gift than about allowing the values that have shaped your life to continue making a difference. Through their gift, they hope teachers will be better equipped to support students and families, model a love of learning, and ultimately “make the world a better place.”

Michael describes teaching as “an act of faith” because teachers often plant seeds whose results may not be visible for years. The same, he believes, is true of legacy giving.

“Our gift is based on a similar kind of faith,” Michael says. “The fund will allow teachers to deepen their knowledge, with the hope that the results will show up later on.”

Through the stewardship of the All Angels Foundation, Barbara and Michael’s lifelong dedication to faith and learning will continue for generations. Their hope is that the fund will support not just today’s educators, but teacher after teacher, year after year.

“Hopefully, our gift will be ongoing for many, many years. That would be an incredible legacy that I’d be proud of,” Michael says.

**This article was featured in the 2026-27 Winter Archangel.