In Memoriam Richard Parasol

Richard Parasol

POLIN Museum mourns the loss of Richard Parasol, a dear friend and longtime supporter, who passed away on May 8, 2024.

Thanks to the Parasol Family during the Capital Campaign, POLIN Museum became a reality. The Parasol Family Foundation is the patron of King Matt’s Family Education Area, which offers children rich cultural experiences based on the educational philosophy of Janusz Korczak. 

As Zygmunt Stępiński, Director of POLIN Museum, recalled, “Every meeting with Richard was an unforgettable experience, and his enthusiasm, commitment, and energy were a source of inspiration. He will be greatly missed by all of us at POLIN Museum.” 

 Richard Parasol was born in Częstochowa in 1935. In 1941, at the age of six, his family was incarcerated in the Częstochowa ghetto. He was eight years old when he saw his parents alive for the last time and was taken in by a Polish Catholic family who hid him until the war’s end in 1945. Having witnessed and endured enormous personal tragedy, he was motivated to survive and move forward. Without family or resources, Richard began the arduous journey as an orphan-refugee from Poland. He made his way across continental Europe to Israel, arriving in 1948. He settled in Ein Harod, a kibbutz in the north of Israel.

After mandatory service in the IDF during the 1956 Suez Crisis, Richard immigrated to the United States to study mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). After graduating, he worked as an engineer for several years, and in 1964 turned to real estate investment in San Francisco. He was successful as an engineer, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. His generous support of POLIN Museum continues to bring joy and enlightenment to the thousands of children who visit King Matt’s Family Education Area.

 May his memory be for a blessing.