MANNY BARENHOLTZ

Curating Community

Few things gave my father as much pleasure as watching others enjoy Walden. It was his delight to see people going about their everyday business, be it dining, playing golf, taking walks, swimming, or just laughing and being with people. He appreciated the heartfelt letters he received from you, sharing what made Walden special for you.

For the better part of his life, my dad was imagining, curating, and coaxing into reality this community that has no comparison: Walden in Aurora, Ohio. When you try to describe it, words fall short. It needs a picture. It needs to be experienced.

Thank you to everyone who experiences Walden. Whether you live there, visit there, or work there, you make it shine. Continue to enjoy all that it has to offer. Care for it, pause to take in its beauty. Appreciate and respect its uniqueness. Pass it on to the next and the next and the next.

May Walden forever speak for itself; I know he would want just that.

Hedva Barenholtz Levy

My Dad

The one thing that came to mind for me was when the Club was first opened, the grille and Pro Shop were located on the bottom level of the Barn. We would eat there often as it was fun and easy for us to do so. Then as Walden expanded, and the membership grew, the Clubhouse, pool and tennis courts opened, the grille was moved over to the pool area and named the Halfway House, between the 1st and 2nd nine holes of the golf course.

My dad always told us that, although our club membership number was 1, we were never to be first in line, nor ask for anything before others were served. Walden belonged to the members and was for the members to enjoy. And we enjoyed watching others feel at home in a place my dad had created for them.

The last time I sat with my dad at the outdoor grille, sharing a tuna sandwich, we watched the swimmers and golfers, families eating, laughing and playing together, and he remarked how these were a whole new generation of Waldenites enjoying what he had created. His sentiments were similar to what I had been told as a child 50 years earlier... Walden was for the members to enjoy. And it will be for many generations to come. That’s quite a legacy!

Devorah Barenholtz

They Don’t Make Manny’s Anymore

The greatest times were brunch with Manny in NYC. We always looked forward to it and Manny didn’t miss our wedding. He always loved family and really enjoyed our nephew Dylan’s bar mitzvah 15 years ago. Dylan fell in love with him, too.

They don’t make Mannys anymore.

The Kassmans

He Made the World a Better Place

My father's legacy and what he wanted to do was to make the world a more beautiful place and to connect us with nature and our surroundings. When you walked into a space, he wanted to make you feel more connected to it. He wanted to have places where we enjoyed life.

Walden wasn’t about fancy or expensive and my father did not like things that were pretentious or ostentatious. He thought the most beautiful painting was a window.

He spent a lot of time sculpting the land in Walden. He would take nature and enhance it. He helped make the world a better place.

Brett Barenholtz

A Design Philosopher

I worked with Manny as his Interior Designer on Walden Country Inn and then on the Walden Spa. Together, we had an incredible journey of design, working initially with the plans of architect John Terrance Kelly for the Inn, and later on, The Spa. Also, consulting on several houses he had built.

Manny would come to my office at Shaker Square and my staff would

comment, “Here he comes!”

His arms would be carrying plans and folders containing pictures from design magazines. And as the office door would open, he would immediately start talking excitedly about a new idea and what did I think?

Before I could say a word, he was on to another creative thought. With such an enthusiasm for design and such an excitement for a new idea, he would draw you into his world and you found yourself inspired and ready to work and make it happen. We came up with a new phrase to describe our design philosophy for the Inn: “Contemporary Western Reserve.”

It meant incorporating contemporary architecture with rich colors and some traditional furniture in a comfortable setting. He loved color, unusual mixtures of materials, and above all, clean design.

Another term Manny created, which as an interior designer I hated, was “cost-effective.” That meant finding a more reasonable price for something I was suggesting. Once I got used to that, we had a terrific working relationship.

The Spa was my final project with him and he was the inspiration for a truly remarkable design and a beautiful, relaxing escape for its patrons.

Manny was a true gift to our community and an inspiration to all of us. Throughout my time working with him, my respect for his “genius” only grew. What a “Man” and what a “Game Changer” for all of us in Northeast Ohio!

Don Doskey

An Asset to Aurora

Manny Barenholtz was truly a visionary who used his immense creativity and generous spirit for Aurora’s benefit. He built the Four Seasons neighborhood early on, then implemented his vision for a beautiful residential community woven into the surrounding landscape, and Walden was born. Manny also was generous in other ways to his community, making donations to the Aurora Fire Department and giving land to the Aurora Schools for new schools. He will be greatly missed and remembered with gratitude.