Ed Finkenberg’s Gift of Inherited IRA Funds Offers Tax Benefits and The Opportunity to Help Students

Ed Finkenberg always knew that Queens College had a good chemistry department, and he was familiar with the area from attending nearby John Bowne High School. “It was close to home, and I could ride my bicycle to school,” he says. Ed graduated in 1975 with a degree in inorganic chemistry and went on to enjoy a long and fulfilling career as an aerospace engineer.

In gratitude for his education and to honor the memory of his parents, Ed has arranged a gift of inherited IRA funds to the College. “After inheriting money from my parents, who believed in the importance of education, I wanted to do things that helped make the world a better place and that my parents would appreciate,” says Ed, who also cites the tax benefits and chance to help others as inspiration for his gift.

As a student, Ed was involved with experiments duplicating photosynthesis and worked with Harry Gafney from 1973 to 1975. In addition to his studies, Ed took advantage of several college summer programs. “One summer we went camping and canoeing in Maine. Another we went surfing and sailing in Montauk,” Ed says. “We also went camping, sailing, and scuba diving in the Virgin Islands. I made three credits that way.”

Ed says his chemistry degree helped him solve problems, and his career included working in the Far East—Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. He hopes his gift will help educate modern chemistry students. “It’s important to learn the use of the slide rule and how it can help them without computers,” he says. “It’s good to know how things were done before.”

Now retired and living in Irvine, California, Ed encourages others to consider the legacy gifts they could leave to support future students. “If Queens College helped you be successful,” he concludes, “it’s a way to pay it forward and to help others.”