Florida Senate - 2019 (NP) SR 1866 By Senator Hooper 16-04598-19 20191866__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution to remember the extraordinary life of 3 Walter Loebenberg, founder of The Florida Holocaust 4 Museum. 5 6 WHEREAS, Walter Loebenberg was born on May 22, 1924, in 7 Waechtersbach, Germany, and moved with his family to Frankfurt 8 to escape the rising tide of antisemitism in his small hometown, 9 and 10 WHEREAS, Walter Loebenberg was forced to leave school and 11 went to work as an apprentice in a bakery, and he and his family 12 were in Frankfurt on Kristallnacht—the Night of the Broken 13 Glass—in November of 1938, and 14 WHEREAS, Walter Loebenberg immigrated to the United States, 15 arriving at Ellis Island on May 22, 1939, his 15th birthday, and 16 WHEREAS, Walter Loebenberg went on to serve in the European 17 theater during World War II and fought at the Battle of the 18 Bulge, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower personally presented him 19 with a Bronze Star in recognition of his service, and 20 WHEREAS, after the war, Walter Loebenberg settled in 21 Chicago, where he met and married his wife, Edie, and began a 22 business career that spanned seven decades, and 23 WHEREAS, in 1969, Walter and Edie Loebenberg, who were 24 married for nearly 62 years, settled in St. Petersburg, where 25 they devoted their lives to family and community, and 26 WHEREAS, Walter Loebenberg never forgot the victims of the 27 Holocaust and their families and, in remembrance of those lost 28 and shattered lives, he founded The Florida Holocaust Museum in 29 1992, which has kept alive the lessons of the past to help 30 create a better future for all, and 31 WHEREAS, Walter Loebenberg died peacefully at home on 32 January 29, 2019, leaving behind three children, eight 33 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren and a legacy of 34 love and compassion, NOW, THEREFORE, 35 36 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 37 38 That the extraordinary life of Walter Loebenberg, founder 39 of The Florida Holocaust Museum, is remembered.