Arts Patrons Honored

Arts Patrons Honored the Phoenix Chamber Music Society, the Barrow Neurological Foundation, AriArizona Opera renames plaza after longtime advocates zona Theatre Company, ASU’s Friends of Jewish Studies, the Harvard Club of BY LAURA LATZKO Phoenix and the Phoenix Country Day School.

Many arts supporters make Even when they had busy meaningful contributions to local schedules with work and family, organizations. Some individuals, they tried to stay involved with such as Robert (Bob) and Shoshathe arts. na Tancer, have an even greater “We felt the community has influence in the Phoenix arts combeen very good to us, and we are munity. giving back to it,” Shoshana says.

In honor of the couple, the AriSpecter was friends with Bob zona Opera is renaming the Arizoand Shoshana. na Opera Center’s courtyard the “Bob and Shoshana have not Shoshana B. and Robert S. Tancer just been colleagues and board Plaza. members. They have been

“Bob and Shoshana have been among me and my family’s closfor five decades such important est friends,” Specter says. “That people, not just to the community is a testament to how Bob and at large but to the arts community Shoshana engage, because there in particular and most especially are so many people whose lives to Arizona Opera,” says Joseph have been touched by their work Specter, Arizona Opera’s presithat feel a similar closeness.” dent and general director. Bob’s energy and mindfulness

“They are the kind of wonderful inspired Specter. people for whom we do all of this “It’s a huge loss for us to not work. They’ve worked so tirelessly The Arizona Opera is renaming the Arizona Opera Center’s courtyard have him here. The naming of the to help us realize our value to the the Shoshana B. and Robert S. Tancer Plaza in honor of the couple, pictured here. (Submitted photo) plaza for Bob and for Shoshana, community, connecting us with these two special people, gives us people. It just seemed proper to be able velopment committee chairman. a chance to celebrate that memory, ento celebrate them in this way. “ Specter says Bob had a special way of ergy and spirit that certainly embodies

A ceremony will be held later this year, communicating with others. them but also are infused into the compossibly in the fall. The announcement “Bob was so magical in his approach. In pany that they spent so much time supcame shortly after Bob’s death on March a conversation with him, you just always porting and championing,” Specter says. 17. felt you were the most special person in Shoshana and Bob witnessed the

The couple, who were lawyers and prothe world,” Specter says. Phoenix arts evolution for more than 50 fessors with the Thunderbird School of Shoshana is a past president of the years. Shoshana says it’s important to Global Management, were married for Phoenix Opera League and has served have a thriving art community. 65 years and had four children together. as chairwoman for the Arizona Opera’s “We were delighted to be able to parThey met in junior high and married their special events. She has been an Arizona ticipate in the growth and development first year of law school. They moved to Opera honorary trustee since 2015 and of various arts forms,” Shoshana says. Phoenix 50 years ago from the Dominijoined the opera’s board this spring. Bob fell in love with opera at a young can Republic. Along with his contributions to the Arage and was given a subscription to the

The two have been very active in the izona Opera, Bob served as chairman for standing room at the Metropolitan Oparts community and involved with orgaOPERA America’s National Opera Center era for his bar mitzvah. nizations like the Arizona Opera. ShoshaBoard of Overseers and was later on the “His parents were afraid that if he did na says having the plaza renamed after organization’s national board of direcnot have the subscription, he would her and her husband means a lot because tors. just be standing in line and probably of her and her husband’s love of the arts. Recently, Shoshana became a member wouldn’t be able to get his homework She never anticipated that the Arizona of the organization’s National Opera Cendone,” Shoshana says. Opera would honor her and Bob in this ter Board of Overseers. Bob and Shoshana instilled a love of way. Bob and Shoshana have also been on the arts in not just their children but their

“I am absolutely overwhelmed. I think the National Patrons Council for the Opgrandchildren and great-grandchildren. it is incredible and completely unexpectera Theatre of St. Louis, after being acShoshana says this was one of her motied,” Shoshana says. quainted with it through its co-founder. vators for being so involved in the arts.

Bob served as the opera company’s Locally, the couple has supported or “We wanted for our children and board chairman for two terms, from 1999 held leadership roles on the boards of grandchildren—other people’s children to 2001 and 2015 to 2017. He has also held Act One, Ballet Arizona, the Desert Boas well—to be enriched by various art other roles for the company, such as detanical Garden, the Phoenix Symphony, forms,” Shoshana says. www.LovinLife.com

Talks...continued from page 11 front of the camera to be actors?’ we asked each other.

We realized voice-over work was heavenly because we didn’t have to put on makeup, fix our hair or get dressed up. And we could read from scripts—no lines to memorize. We both decided right there to go into voice-over acting. June became one of the most famous (e.g., Rocky of ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’) and I went on to do about 600 cartoon voiceovers.”

Although it’s been nearly 70 years since Kerry’s famous fairy job, her tiny-winged alter ego has never been far away especially during the numerous fan conventions she’s attended for decades. She plans to continue giving talks and lectures.

“Tinker Bell and I share some characteristics. We’re perky and adventurous,” says Kerry, who turned 91 in May. “I think getting married and moving to Florida after living 90 years in California counts as an adventure!”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns and interviews for over 800 newspapers and magazines.