Irv Naiditch left legacy of hard work, giving back

Irv Naiditch knew the power of giving back.

As a child, he attended a Chicago Boys and Girls Club after school while his parents worked.

As an adult, he served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club in Chicago and did the same in Sarasota, where he was named an outstanding alumni in 2018.

Naiditch, 91, died Jan. 13.

"... His experience at the Boys Club had such a tremendous impact on his life that he continued to stay involved and give back," Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County President andCEO Bill Sadlo said in a statement. "Our organization is honored to have been a recipient of his dedication, vast knowledge, love and support for decades. While Mr. Naiditch is deeply missed by our staff and board, his legacy will be embedded in our mission forever. Alongside his wife Marilyn, Mr. Naiditch’s commitment to our organization has empowered thousands of children to achieve their full potential over the years. We are honored to have known such an amazing man."

Andy Amend said her father was “very much a product of his parents,” who built their life from the ground up. Naiditch’s father started a hardware store, and his parents started a restaurant supply and equipment business, which Naiditch eventually joined and expanded. Later, Naiditch became involved with real estate development.

The work ethic Naiditch learned from his parents stuck with him.

“I have memories as a child of an old truck and my dad always coming home late and being dirty from fixing equipment,” Amend said.

In 1972, Marilyn and Irv Naiditch, who met at the University of Illinois and married at 18, moved to Longboat Key and became involved in the community.

“He was very unique, he was a  very, very good businessman, very astute and he was very sincere in his relationships with people,” Marilyn Naiditch said.

Marilyn served on the American Jewish Committee of West Coast Florida board, but AJC West Coast Florida Regional Director Brian Lipton said Irv attended every meeting with her. Together, the Naiditches were recognized twice by AJC. They were awarded the Human Relations Award and then in 2017, they received the Legacy of Leadership Award for their lifetime of giving, Lipton said.

“They have always believed in interfaith work, in interfaith, interethnic and interracial dialogue, which is so high to what AJC is about, bringing people together, building bridges of understanding,” Lipton said

The Naiditches gave more than $100,000 to AJC in Lipton’s name, making that the largest gift that has been given in honor of a regional director. 

Naiditch was preceded in death by his daughter, Deborah Naiditch.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; daughters Susan Johnson, Audrey Lewis and Andy Amend; nine grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.