The Einstein and Montefiore communities are deeply saddened by the loss of a devoted and loyal friend, Burton “Burt” P. Resnick, Einstein Board chair emeritus, who died on Saturday, December 14, 2019. Burt joined the Board in 1976, serving for more than four decades, including 19 years as Chair. He was 83.

A Family Man

A thread of family connections runs through Burt’s life. After graduating from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in philosophy, in 1956 he joined Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc., the New York real estate development, construction, ownership, and management business that his father founded in 1928. The company’s holdings include a long list of important residential and commercial buildings, many of which helped to shape New York City’s real estate industry and its skyline over the past 60 years. In office space alone, it currently controls and operates more than five million square feet of first-class real estate in New York City. At the time of his death, Burt was chair and chief executive officer of the company; his son Jonathan has served as president since 2007, and is the third generation to lead the 91-year-old enterprise.

Working closely with Sam Weinberg and other members of Einstein’s Board, Burt championed construction of the Michael F. Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine/Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion, the centerpiece of the College of Medicine’s Jack and Pearl Resnick campus. The building is a testament to Burt’s leadership at Einstein and to his real estate acumen.

Following the philanthropic legacy begun by his parents Jack and Pearl, who were among the College of Medicine’s founders, Burt and his wife of 57 years, Judith, were major supporters of research at Einstein. They partnered with Dr. John Condeelis, professor and co-chair of anatomy & structural biology, who is the inaugural holder of the Judith and Burton P. Resnick Chair in Translational Research. Dr. Condeelis’ pioneering investigations into the way cancer spreads hold major implications for cancer treatment. The Resnicks also funded Dr. Arthur Skoultchi’s Judith and Burton P. Resnick Chair in Cell Biology. Dr. Skoultchi’s laboratory researches the mechanisms controlling mammalian development and cell differentiation. The couple encouraged medical student research as well, through the annual presentation of the Burton P. Resnick Medical Student Research Award in Aging Research.

With his sister Marilyn and her husband, Stanley M. Katz, Burt and Judith established the Einstein Montefiore Resnick Gerontology Center in memory of the Resnick family patriarchs Jack and Pearl, whose devotion to Einstein is recognized through the naming of our Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus. The Resnick and Katz families also teamed with Burt and Marilyn's brother Ira to honor the memory of their late sister, establishing the Susan Resnick Fisher Chair in Brain Cancer Research. This chair supports the research of Dr. I. David Goldman, director of our NCI-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center, whose laboratory focuses on the membrane transport of folates and antifolate cancer chemotherapies. The Katz family’s generous support of the College of Medicine includes naming The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean and creation of a cancer prevention program.

Burt was generous to the world outside of Einstein with his time and philanthropy as well. His numerous charitable gifts support medicine, education, and the arts.

A Family Legacy

Burt is predeceased by his parents and by his sister Susan. He is survived by Judith, their three sons Jonathan, Scott, and Peter, and their wives, his sister and brother-in-law Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz, his brother and sister-in-law Ira M. and Paula Resnick, and nine grandchildren.