Ronna Rose Karchmer Newburger

November 20, 1941 - February 27, 2022

Ronna Rose Karchmer Newburger 1941 - 2022 An extraordinary wife, mother and grandmother passed away peacefully on February 27th, after gracefully weathering a long illness. She was a remarkably talented business woman, community leader, and exemplary role model for “moving mountains” with a kind spirit and so much goodness— never complaining, even when the going got tough. Ronna was born on November 20, 1941 in Memphis, to parents, Aaron and Gertrude Karchmer. She is survived by her husband, Hal; brother Don Karchmer; children, Nicki Newburger, Dina (Eli) Benita, Marty (Deb Knobelman) Newburger, and Nat Newburger; and 5 grandchildren: Daniel, Benji, Maya, Noah and Leo. Ronna grew up in a small town in southern Illinois where she went to high school. She then went on to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, where she met the love of her life, Hal. She cherished her upbringing in Centralia, where her strong sense of self, incredible life skills and headstrong determination all began. After college, this wizard mathematician briefly lived in New York, where she worked at a bank and taught school before getting married. In 1964, the couple moved to Memphis so that her soulmate, Hal, could take over the family’s scrap metal business in the historic Tennessee Brewery and begin a family of their own, together actively engaging in making Memphis a better place. A math teacher, it wasn’t long before Ronna was juggling the lives of four busy children, handling all of the bookkeeping as well as wearing a multitude of other “hats” and loving her full, rich life in Memphis. Not only was she the queen of carpools and the president of PTAs, she and Hal developed a real estate community downtown at the Mississippi River overlooking the bluff, Founder’s Pointe. In later years, she encouraged her kids to travel and work internationally, always remaining an anchor— mailing news articles about Memphis with large smiley faces, long before Emojis or Links were invented. Ronna was passionately involved in the Jewish community. She loved the MJCC and was the first female President, ensuring that the heart and soul of the Memphis Jewish Community would continue to grow and thrive under her leadership. She was instrumental in founding the Memphis Jewish Foundation, where she also served as President. She enjoyed her involvement in the Memphis Rotary, the Ronald McDonald House and numerous other philanthropic endeavors. More than her list of accomplishments, her family will always remember how her cheerful optimism, determination, friendliness, and high standards for excellence blended into every task and impacted many. She never met a stranger! She was fortunate to live fully the life she chose and loved, fulfilled with much satisfaction. She packed 10 pounds into a 5 pound bag every day. Remaining humble always, this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, no-nonsense, go-getter got a lot of bounce for the ounce. A bright light has gone out in Memphis, but her impact will long shine in everyone and everything she touched. This special woman was so deeply loved. Her family is celebrating her life with a private memorial in springtime. If you have a blessed memory of Ronna to share, recollections will be treasured: Newburger Family: PO Box 945, Memphis TN 38101 [email protected] Please think of Ronna when you wear any shade of blue or plant something. And if you would like to extend her legacy with a donation, some ideas would be some of her favorite organizations: The MJCC, The Ronald McDonald House (St. Jude), and the Ronna Karchmer Newburger Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic established in her honor: https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/give