Most of you know by now that we lost Rosalyn Rosenthal last week. Known as “beacon of generosity and pillar of the Fort Worth community” she passed away at nearly 100 years old.
We lose generous donors and community pillars regularly and I don’t often cover their passing, so you might ask why am I commenting on this one. The answer: this one feels different.
In the small world of local nonprofit efforts to improve our community, we all know each other and most of the supporters that fuel our work. So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we talk amongst ourselves on the subject.
In my 24 years in the nonprofit sector here in Fort Worth, I have had the opportunity to work with Rosalyn many times, never deeply but enough to make a lasting impression. More importantly, I’ve spoken to many colleagues over that time period who have also worked with her and that share similar experiences and even deeper impact.
From her service to the arts and social services to her contributions to healthcare and her religious community, she was undoubtedly generous with her time, experience and financial resources. But, what I think is more important to note was her generosity of spirit, her infectious smile and perpetually positive disposition. She treated us with kindness, dignity and reverence for the work we do – remarkable for a world that treats us as beggars most of the time. She supported many things, but most importantly we felt supported by her.
We lost one of the good ones. She will be missed, but not forgotten. Rest in power Ros!
