History
Donald N. Parodi was an alumnus of the California School for the Deaf at the old Berkeley campus. As a student, Donald came under the influence of various faculty members who taught him to work hard and to be frugal with his money. He cleaned the homes of faculty members and he saved every penny he earned cleaning those homes. When he graduated from CSD he continued cleaning homes of people in the San Francisco area, including the famous madam Sally Stanford. Donald loved old things and he loved to collect antiques. After he accumulated sufficient funds, he purchased his first home in San Francisco which he renovated and rented out. As he acquired more money he purchased more homes and at one time had three Victorian homes in San Francisco. Later he purchased a farm in Stockton, California. All of his homes were furnished with antique furniture. He volunteered weekly at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley where he helped identify and refinish some old furniture. He decided to set up a Charitable Trust in 1988 when he knew his time on Earth was running out. One year later, he passed away at an early age of 47. He had become a wealthy man with the Victorian homes and the farm he had in Stockton. Donald did not forget his alma mater because it was like his second home. His desire, before he passed away, was for the school, and to a lesser extent the San Francisco Deaf Community to continue to prosper with his financial support.
In his will he had everything spelled out from the selection of the Trustees to their duties in general and how the Trustees are to distribute the dividends of the trust. Don emphasized that the funds in the Charitable Trust are not to go to the State of California should the California School for the Deaf, Fremont (CSD) close. During discussions with him prior to his death, it was his desire that the funds go to some other worthy deaf cause or organization. The Board of Trustees was given the authority to decide. Donald truly loved CSD.
Superintendent Hank Klopping was very instrumental in setting up the board since its inception. The first trustees were appointed, representing the Alumni, the Parents, Teachers and Counselors of the School for the Deaf, and the California Association of the Deaf. These charter members were Dr. Hank Klopping, Ken Norton, Julian Singleton, Celia May Baldwin and Gerald Lindberg, who was a contributor and close friend of Donald Parodi. The first Board meeting was held in the fall of 1990. Ever since then, the board has met four to five times each year.
The board had been chaired by Superintendent Klopping for 21 years until his retirement from the school in 2011. Dr. Klopping’s many contributions to the board have enabled it to blossom into the fine and strong organization it is today. Over the years, the trust has given financial assistances to numerous projects both at the school and to the deaf community.
One of the first projects commissioned by the Parodi Memorial Charitable Fund was to complete the construction of the Bell Tower for the School for the Deaf.
Some other earlier projects were the expansion and improvement of the Historical Library/Museum at the school, and seed money for the publication of a manuscript on Granville Redmond, a prominent landscape painter and himself a graduate of the school, authored by Mildred Albronda. All of these projects were part of Donald’s visions for the school and the fund.
The trustees have honored Donald N. Parodi’s legacy by continuing to give financial grants to Deaf students at the California School for the Deaf and to fund programs and activities that enrich the lives of Deaf children at the school as well as sponsoring several community events. Since the inception of the trust fund, mini grants for teachers at CSDF were established to encourage them to be innovative and creative in developing strategies and materials with which to teach Deaf students. Students are also awarded scholarships every year to attend various conferences, workshops and trainings.
The goal of the trustees is to honor and maintain Donald N. Parodi’s dreams and legacy for many years to come.
In his will he had everything spelled out from the selection of the Trustees to their duties in general and how the Trustees are to distribute the dividends of the trust. Don emphasized that the funds in the Charitable Trust are not to go to the State of California should the California School for the Deaf, Fremont (CSD) close. During discussions with him prior to his death, it was his desire that the funds go to some other worthy deaf cause or organization. The Board of Trustees was given the authority to decide. Donald truly loved CSD.
Superintendent Hank Klopping was very instrumental in setting up the board since its inception. The first trustees were appointed, representing the Alumni, the Parents, Teachers and Counselors of the School for the Deaf, and the California Association of the Deaf. These charter members were Dr. Hank Klopping, Ken Norton, Julian Singleton, Celia May Baldwin and Gerald Lindberg, who was a contributor and close friend of Donald Parodi. The first Board meeting was held in the fall of 1990. Ever since then, the board has met four to five times each year.
The board had been chaired by Superintendent Klopping for 21 years until his retirement from the school in 2011. Dr. Klopping’s many contributions to the board have enabled it to blossom into the fine and strong organization it is today. Over the years, the trust has given financial assistances to numerous projects both at the school and to the deaf community.
One of the first projects commissioned by the Parodi Memorial Charitable Fund was to complete the construction of the Bell Tower for the School for the Deaf.
Some other earlier projects were the expansion and improvement of the Historical Library/Museum at the school, and seed money for the publication of a manuscript on Granville Redmond, a prominent landscape painter and himself a graduate of the school, authored by Mildred Albronda. All of these projects were part of Donald’s visions for the school and the fund.
The trustees have honored Donald N. Parodi’s legacy by continuing to give financial grants to Deaf students at the California School for the Deaf and to fund programs and activities that enrich the lives of Deaf children at the school as well as sponsoring several community events. Since the inception of the trust fund, mini grants for teachers at CSDF were established to encourage them to be innovative and creative in developing strategies and materials with which to teach Deaf students. Students are also awarded scholarships every year to attend various conferences, workshops and trainings.
The goal of the trustees is to honor and maintain Donald N. Parodi’s dreams and legacy for many years to come.