Swampscott Couple Leaves Million Dollar Gift to Local Organization

Phil and Rosalie Tanzer didn’t lead a million-dollar lifestyle; they had the same rotary phone, refrigerator and stove that were in their “drafty” Swampscott house when they bought it more than 30 years ago.

But the couple had generous hearts, and at its 103rd annual meeting on Sunday the JCC of the North Shore will announce a $1 million Legacy Gift from the Tanzers.

The gift, according to a press release, will help build the JCC’s endowment fund.

In an interview with Leigh Blander, the JCC’s Director of Public Relations and Marketing, the Tanzer’s great-niece , Deborah Cohen, said her great-uncle and aunt had a particular affection for the center, volunteering at and working out there together for many years.

“I think the JCC was part of the fabric of Phil and Rosalie’s lives,” Cohen said. “I imagine the friendships and the exercise, the good clean fun available at the JCC was important to him.”

Phil Tanzer, a WWII veteran, served as an ombudsman for the JCC, and Rosalie Tanzer volunteered as a “bingo lady” for more than 30 years.

They had no children and “didn’t take particular pleasure in spending money,” Cohen said. “Phil did things his way and kept their lives very simple. I imagine he understood the value of giving money to organizations which did good.“

Cohen relayed that Phil Tanzer spent time on the treadmill at the JCC well into his 90s and that the couple went to the center several times each week.

Phil Tanzer died just before his 97th birthday in 2012; Rosalie Tanzer died in 2013.

“I know their gift was kind and generous, and quite remarkable when one considers the lifestyle they led,” Cohen said. “Phil and Rosalie were a benevolent couple who valued doing good over fancy living and having things.”

Photo: Contributed by Leigh Blander of the JCC. Information for this story was garnered from interview notes collected by Leigh Blander