Philanthropist, volunteer Leah Waitzer has died
Philanthropist Leah Waitzer has died. Mrs. Waitzer and her late husband, Richard, (pictured above) were ardent supporters of the Hampton Roads community, investing in education, the arts and healthcare.
A Norfolk native, Mrs. Waitzer was a full-time volunteer, giving her time, talent and resources to organizations throughout Hampton Roads.
“Leah Waitzer was a tremendous force for good in the community,” says Richard V. Homan, MD, President and Provost of EVMS and Dean of the School of Medicine. “She was a passionate supporter of so many worthy causes. We are grateful to her and her family for their generous support of EVMS.”
In 2012, the Waitzers established the Murray Waitzer Endowed Chair for Diabetes Research in memory of Mr. Waitzer’s father, Murray Waitzer. The gift continues to fund important research to help stem the rising tide of diabetes in Hampton Roads. Most recently, in November 2018, the Leah and Richard Waitzer Foundation gave a historic gift to EVMS, supporting the construction of the school's new education and administration building. This state-of-the-art building has recently opened to students, staff and faculty and carries the Waitzer name.
As a newlywed, Leah Waitzer volunteered as a teacher at the Florence Crittendon School for unwed mothers that allowed expectant mothers to continue their educations in an era when they were excluded from the public schools due to their pregnancies. Later, as a mother of three sons, she held every possible volunteer position at Norfolk Academy, including long-time trustee.
She volunteered as an independent investigator in the Juvenile Courts of Virginia Beach for 22 years. At the request of a judge, she co-founded, was chief fundraiser and was initial Chair of Virginia Beach's Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to assist others in the juvenile justice system. That work led to her appointment by the Governor to the Virginia Committee for Juvenile Justice, which she later chaired.
She directly helped many individuals in dire circumstances, forming relationships that sometimes lasted for years until her health precluded further communications.
She was a passionate supporter of the arts, serving as a trustee of the Chrysler Museum of Art and the Virginia Arts Festival. Her work brought her widespread recognition. She received the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center Woman of the Year, YMCA Woman of Distinction, and, with her husband, the Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, and the Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Hampton Roads.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Norfolk Academy, Development Office, 1585 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502; or Eastern Virginia Medical School Foundation, P.O. Box 5, Norfolk, VA 23501-0005.
Read her obituary.