Dear friends,
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of Wally Roenick on January 6th.
A Director of The Genesis Foundation for Children for many years, Wally came to us through Mobil Oil, where he and his company were a bedrock of financial support for Murray Feingold and his mission to ensure that all kids with genetic diseases, rare medical conditions, and developmental challenges reached their full potential. The strong relationship we have today with what is now Exxon/Mobil and with Global Partners will always have “Wally Roenick” written all over it. We will never know how many children and young adults we were able to help because of Wally’s dedication to this organization.
Of his many exceptional qualities, being a “wallflower” was certainly not one of them. He challenged the Board to excel and he certainly made me try to be a more effective agent of progress and, for that, I will always be grateful. His desire to push us along came not from ego or a sense of moral superiority; it came from a place of love of the kids for whom he wanted every opportunity in the world to thrive and be happy. He made the trip to almost every board meeting and was among the first to arrive and the last to leave. He and his wife, Jo, gave The Genesis Foundation their time and financial support year after year by hosting a highly successful and really enjoyable fundraiser at their golf club in Pembroke.
If you’d like, please take a moment to read the remembrance of Wally by clicking the link below. With all of the challenges we currently face, it is very comforting to know that Wally did so much in his life to bring us together to help others.
Our condolences and thoughts are with Jo, Jeremy, Trevor, and Wally’s grandchildren. We are all blessed to have had Wally Roenick in our lives.
Sincerely,
Matthew Hoffman
President, The Genesis Foundation for Children