In this holiday season, I want to share with you a heart-wrenching story about one of the true giants in the tax world, C. Eugene Steuerle.  As most readers of this blog know, Gene is a Senior Fellow at The Urban Institute, Co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, columnist for Tax Notes, and the author or editor of 11 books, more than 150 reports and articles, more than 50 Congressional testimonies or reports, and more than 600 columns. What you may not know is that Gene’s wife Norma was among the 59 victims aboard the plane that hijackers crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

The L.A. Times today has a wonderful story about Our Voices Together, the charity that Gene and his daughters began with the money they received from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.  Here is the lead:

On Sept. 11, 2001, family therapist Norma Steuerle was among the 59 victims aboard a plane that hijackers crashed into the Pentagon. But rather than seek revenge, her husband and daughters chose to create a charity to combat the conditions in which terrorism can thrive. Our Voices Together, which was started on the fourth anniversary of the attacks, supports programs to promote tolerance, social justice, education and economic development around the world. For this holiday season, it is offering an altruistic alternative to traditional gifts.

Please read the whole story here.  I have run numerous posts over the past week with Christmas Gifts for that Special Tax Person.  I can think of no finer gift this holiday season than to make a contribution to this wonderful charity to honor Gene and his wife and family.  To donate, please see here.  (Thanks to Ellen Aprill for passing along this story.)