February 24, 2026 — Before her passing in 2024 at age 65, Teresa Motz directed a bequest of $1.8 million to the Central New York Community Foundation to establish the Hope and Healing Through Empowering Support (HAHTES) Fund, a field-of-interest fund that will go toward general Cayuga County grantmaking with a preference for projects that support residents recovering from traumatic life events.
The HAHTES Fund will in part provide ongoing grant support to nonprofit organizations that serve individuals facing physical or psychological challenges as they rebuild their lives. Through the Community Foundation’s grantmaking, Teresa’s legacy will focus on restoring dignity, fostering connection and instilling hope.
Teresa Motz lived with a deep belief that life was meant to be lived with purpose, joy and connection. Hard-working, courageous and joyfully unconventional, she brought people together through laughter, friendship, food, music, dance and shared human experience. Above all, she believed in loving people — treating every person with dignity, respect and faith in their potential.
“She wanted to swaddle people in the comforts of home,” said her sister, Jean Bolte. “Whether assembling dish kits for individuals moving into independent housing or bringing dozens of pies to community meals, Teresa believed small, practical acts could preserve dignity and belonging.”
Raised on a family farm outside Cincinnati as the second oldest of eight children, Teresa learned early the values that shaped her life: responsibility, perseverance, ingenuity and independence. Those values propelled her into an extraordinary professional career. After earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics, she began working for an aircraft engine manufacturer, where at age 25 she co-invented an optical inspection device. She later earned a master’s degree in optical engineering from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics and went on to work in the Finger Lakes region.
Her innovations advanced endoscopic imaging and barcode scanning technologies now used in health care, air travel and commerce around the world. She authored professional publications, contributed to international optical standards and earned multiple patents. Even in highly technical environments, her family recalls, Teresa consistently asked how systems could better serve people — especially those who are vulnerable or too often overlooked.
Later in life, a series of serious accidents and limited recovery resources dramatically altered Teresa’s physical abilities and outlook. From that lived experience emerged a new mission centered on trauma awareness, recovery and hope. She became a passionate advocate for integrated, person-centered support that connects body, mind and spirit.
She coined the term “diff-abled,” reframing disability as difference rather than deficit, and believed deeply in the resilience of those navigating illness, trauma or changed capacity. Her philosophy guided wide-ranging community engagement — collaborating with hospitals and educators, organizing inclusive dances and gatherings, performing original music and comedy, assembling hygiene and household kits and creating welcoming spaces for art, movement and dialogue.
The HAHTES Fund — named for Hope and Healing Through Empowering Support — reflects those deeply held beliefs. As a field-of-interest fund, it will support the Cayuga Community Fund with a preference for nonprofits that directly assist trauma-affected individuals in Cayuga County.
“The power of endowment ensures that Teresa’s compassion and creativity will continue to uplift others for generations,” said Pragya Murphy, director of development & impact investing for the Community Foundation. “Through the HAHTES Fund, her belief in the resilience and worth of every person will live on in meaningful, tangible ways.”
Through the Community Foundation’s stewardship, Teresa’s vision invites collaboration, elevates those in need of support and challenges the community to respond to trauma with connection rather than isolation.
