Anita Hirsh

In Memoriam
Anita Hirsh
1936-2018

Anita Hirsh's contributions to the school over nearly five decades were so meaningful and generous that it is impossible to imagine Oakwood without her. And with tremendous thanks to her for her significant bequest we received from her estate, Oakwood will continue to thrive and benefit from her generosity. By including Oakwood in her estate plans, her support will significantly enhance several key endowments. One of those endowments—The Stanley and Anita Hirsh Minority Scholarship Endowment—was established in 1978 as the first Oakwood endowment of its kind.

Over the years, Anita and her family helped ensure the success of our building campaigns, and enabled Oakwood to purchase new property. She contributed repeatedly to ongoing projects like the yearly Special Event and the school's Technology Fund.

But Anita's groundbreaking donations tell only part of her story. Her keen eye and devotion to Oakwood meant that no detail ever escaped her attention, whether in the trees and shrubbery around the school or in the welcoming spread of her ranch on Laurel Canyon—the site of many Oakwood Fairs—or in the advice and counsel she and her husband, Stanley, provided the school over so many years. (Anita's daughter, Liz Hirsh Naftali, is a General Member of the Oakwood Board and a gifted leader who follows in her parents' philanthropic footsteps.)

Anita's life illuminated the very meaning of good citizenship, at the school and in the larger community, around the corner and literally across the world.