Odyssey House and Odyssey Foundation mourn the loss of our Chairman, George Rosenfeld. Since joining the Boards of Trustees in 1997, George helped lead and shape Odyssey House for over two decades. His visionary and compassionate public service leadership as Chairman of Odyssey House (2002-2012) and then as Chairman of Odyssey Foundation helped save the lives of thousands of vulnerable men, women, and children suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders.
A champion of the care and well-being of elderly substance abusers, his farsighted recognition of their needs and philanthropic support led to the founding of the Odyssey House ElderCare Program and its permanent home at our newly renovated family treatment center on Ward’s Island in Upper Manhattan – a center we proudly named the George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery. We are forever grateful to him and the Trustees of the Mary and Milton B. Rosenback Foundation for their generous and ongoing support. We are immensely fortunate that George chose to join the cause at Odyssey House. He liberally donated his time and resources to ensuring that people with few champions had a true friend and ally as they struggled to overcome addiction and mental health challenges.
We cannot imagine a kinder, more thoughtful, and more compassionate leader. He was the cheerleader of cheerleaders. He guided us through challenges and prepared us to make the most of opportunities to do more for the people we serve and do it better.
His many friends, colleagues, and fellow Board members at Odyssey House offer condolences to his wife, Nancy, their son Jesse and daughter Julia, grandchildren, and extended family.
A dear, dear friend will be deeply missed.