Fred Rosenbaum Passes, Leaves Long Legacy
Last week, Oregon honored a man whose legacy will not soon be forgotten. Fred Rosenbaum, 83, died Tuesday, January 12, 2010 after battling kidney cancer. A week later, his memorial service was attended by more than 1,000 people and included a three-volley salute and a missing-man flyover, according to the local newspaper.
To understand what made Rosenbaum’s life so influential, you have to start at the beginning. Born in 1926 in Vienna, Rosenbaum was still a child when the Nazi’s began setting about the Holocaust. At the age of 12, Rosenbaum escaped out the window of his school when he learned Nazi’s were coming. Later, he fled to England along with other Jewish children. After two years on his own, Rosenbaum was reunited with his parents and the family set out for America, first settling in Washington, then moving south to Oregon.
Once in Oregon, Rosenbaum accomplished much. After graduating from Portland State University with a degree in political science, Rosenbaum became a successful insurance businessman. But don’t let that fool you. Rosenbaum was an advocate and ardent supporter of many things — evidenced by some of his titles: Brigadier General of the Oregon Air National Guard, Chairman of the Housing Authority of Portland, Director of the Institute of Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University.
Perhaps Rosenbaum’s greatest contribution, however, was his camp for underprivileged children which he started in 1970. Today, Camp Rosenbaum has impacted more than 6,500 young lives.
Ted Kulongoski, Oregon’s governor, noted that the state was now less of a place because of Rosenbaum’s passing. I don’t think anyone will disagree.
[photo: Oregon.gov]
Tags: Camp Rosenbaum, cancer, Fred Rosenbaum, Holocaust, Oregon Air National Guard
