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This gift takes the station from existing to thriving. And that’s what we will remember Ernie for – that he made the difference.”
performances that day,” Urofsky says. “I just remember how genuinely happy they were.” By then, they were already official members of the station, supporting both radio and TV. They went on to become founding members of Classical WSMR and its 24-hour format in 2010, helping with the creation of the Sarasota Broadcast and Performance Studio on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Ernie began sponsoring matching challenges for WSMR, encouraging listeners to give – a practice he enjoys to this day. The couple even took a station-sponsored classical music cruise and sightseeing trip in Europe, singing sweetly to each other on bus rides between cities. All the while, Ernie and Alisa derived pleasure from making the world a better place through giving. “They were guided by the tradition of ‘tikkun olam,’ which is Hebrew for ‘repair the world,’ ” says Veronica Brady, senior vice president of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Sarasota-based organization that partnered with the Kretzmers to handle much of their philanthropic efforts. “That spirit of giving back – giving to do good – is central to Ernie. And I’ve had many a donor say to me, ‘I’ve seen Ernie Kretzmer supporting this, I think I will as well.’ I loved to see the joy that Ernie and Alisa had together in their commitment to each other, and that commitment translated to their philanthropy.” When Alisa grew ill several years ago, Ernie’s commitment to supporting the things she loved – that bonded them as husband and wife – never wavered. He was devastated to lose her in 2015, but channeled his grief into a memorable, deeply meaningful gesture. Working with WUSF Associate Development Director Kathy Jordan, he decided to honor his late wife with the naming of the Ernie and Alisa Kretzmer Studio, a change that will take place pending approval in June from the USF Board of Trustees. On a recent morning, he stands in his living room reflecting on his life as a Mozart concerto plays in the background. A Feurich grand piano rests in a corner – the same one played by his mother in Germany, and later by Alisa. A nearby shelf holds an
– JoAnn Urofsky
Photos: Courtesy of USF Advancement
array of plaques honoring the Kretzmer’s generosity, including Outstanding Individual Philanthropist from the Southwest branch of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – nominated by five different organizations. Several feet away, a poster board displays dozens of photos of Ernie through the years, with Alisa featured prominently – a 90th birthday gift from his personal assistant. Ernie has kept it in a central spot so it is never far from view. “I never grow tired of looking at it,” he says, smiling. Her presence is forever a part of him. So, too, are the soothing works that connect his past and present, from childhood fears in Germany to sunset years in Sarasota. They play from morning until night on his radios, keeping the memory of his cherished late wife, and the classical music he loves, living on in timeless harmony. n
PHOTO From left, USF System President Judy Genshaft, Kretzmer, WSMR classical host Bethany Cagle and personal assistant Dorathea Sandland at a WUSF Leadership Society Event in 2015.
$991,822,482 REASONS TO SAY THANK YOU! The USF: Unstoppable Campaign has raised more than $990 million from people like you. Together we are Unstoppable. Read more about the campaign at www.unstoppable.usf.edu.
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