A Loving Tribute to Ronnie and Gene Isenberg
As we conclude Parkside’s 34th year, and embark on our next chapter, we reflect with deep gratitude on the immense impact Ronnie and Gene Isenberg have had on our school.
Ronnie and Gene were instrumental in supporting the founding of The Parkside School and helping us through that first year. It was their passion for education, and their particularly strong advocacy for those unable to afford or access quality education, that fueled our growth.
In our earliest days, Ronnie was known for her gifts-in-kind to Parkside. Providing everything from wooden bookcases, to air conditioners, desks, and even a Xerox copier; her love of our work was evident.
In 1992 Ronnie and Gene’s generous financial support is what allowed our school to move from its cramped, rented space where we served 60 students, to our current home in two beautiful landmarked Georgian Mansions on West 74th Street where we now serve 80 students each year, and boast an unsurpassed team of 55 educators dedicated to our mission of serving the whole child.
Passionate about their philanthropies, which ranged from education, to medicine and the performing arts, the Isenbergs generously engaged their network of friends and colleagues for Parkside’s benefit. They spearheaded the campaign that created Parkside’s endowment, making two lead gifts aimed at providing economic security and longevity for our school.
Over the years, Ronnie and Gene Isenberg were our quiet, firm partners. They gave us the gift of stability, enabling our team to focus on the children, knowing that Parkside’s independence is integral to our ability to serve a diverse population of students with language-based learning challenges and needs that simply cannot be met by the public school system. In 2012, our school building was named in their honor.
We learned of Ronnie’s passing on September 25, 2021. She was 91, and died peacefully in her home in Hidden Cove on Martha’s Vineyard. She was predeceased by her husband Eugene Isenberg in March of 2014. They are survived by daughters Lynda and Diane, son-in-law David and three grandchildren: Carolyn, Dylan and Stefan.
We will always remember the times we shared with Ronnie and Gene, and take comfort in knowing that the legacy of their support will live on in each and every child that passes through our red doors, now and for years to come.
Everyone in the Parkside community is forever indebted to the Isenberg family.
This article was featured in Parkside’s 2020-2021 Annual Report. Click here to read the full report.