Several Wayne County organizations shared tributes to philanthropist Debra Edelman following the 93-year-old’s May 17 death during the severe weather outbreak in Kentucky.

Edelman died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of severe weather during a weekend stay on a houseboat at Lake Cumberland State Resort Park in Jamestown.

Edelman, co-founder of The Recycling Center and several other businesses with her late husband Jack Edelman, was the 19th victim of the storms, according to a social media post by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

Ivy Tech Richmond
Last October, Ivy Tech Richmond opened the Debra Edelman Healthcare Education Center, which serves as a space for students to simulate surgical, maternal and intensive care operations. It also provides training for paramedics and has an ambulance simulator.

Last year, Edelman also received Ivy Tech Richmond’s Benefactor of the Year Award. At the time, Ivy Tech Chancellor Chad Bolser said Edelman’s support of the school’s mission to bring the highest level of healthcare education to campus was inspirational.

“Debra was a generous and visionary supporter whose passion for education and health care left an enduring mark on our campus,” college officials said in a Facebook post. “She will be deeply missed, and her spirit will remain a guiding light at Ivy Tech Richmond for generations to come.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County
The Edelmans were pillars of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County. While Jack served on the board of directors for 16 years before he died in 2017, Debra has been Board of Trustees president since 2009 and a member of the board since 2006.

The organization said Debra gave scholarships each year for club members to attend Air Camp, an aviation summer camp in Dayton, Ohio, covering the cost for the entire week for any club member accepted.

“We could easily fill a full page of accolades and awards Debra and Jack received in the community and while serving on our boards, but we don’t want to do that,” the organization said in a Facebook post. “They both meant more to us than what an award name can describe, and we wanted to share something more meaningful.

“We will honor Debra and Jack’s legacy in this community by continuing to serve the youth they so deeply cared about every day and strive to be that shining light for them.”

Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce
Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce President Melissa Vance recognized chamber members Edelman and Dave Rodgers, former Whitewater Broadcasting owner, after both died in recent days.

“Debra Edelman and her late husband, Jack, owned The Recycling Center,” Vance said in an email to chamber members. “As their business grew and flourished, so did their legacy to the Wayne County region. They are past recipients of the Chamber’s annual Achievement of Excellence – Large Business Award (2013).