The Manders Villas: A tribute to two philanthropists
Jewish Care Victoria is proud to announce that Glen Eira Villas, its flagship independent living accommodation for adults with a disability, has been renamed The Richard and Marietta Manders Villas.
In 2011, Marietta passed away leaving a bequest to Jewish Care which has resulted in the new name for Glen Eira Villas – and a legacy for the Melbourne Jewish community for generations to come.
Richard and Marietta were long-standing members of Jewish Care’s Circle of Care Planned Giving Club and major donors for more than 25 years. They were well known throughout the Jewish community for their philanthropy and ongoing support of Jewish Care and other vital community organisations.
Moving to Australia from war-torn Europe, the couple met in Melbourne in 1959. A chartered accountant and real estate agent, Marietta was known for her generosity and hospitable home. Her husband, Richard, was a successful solicitor and brilliant linguist, speaking several languages.
The couple never had children. After Richard passed away in 2008, Marietta continued their support of the community through a generous donation towards the building of Jewish Care’s Gary Smorgon House in Freeman Street, Caulfield. The third floor of the residence carries the couple’s name.
“As an organisation and a community we are indebted to Richard and Marietta not only for the breadth of their generosity, but for their example of selfless tzedakah which, as a couple, they epitomised,” said Robbie Franco, General Manager of Development at Jewish Care.
What magnificent people they were. Inspiring for everybody