Did you ever attend one of the wonderful Symphony of the Americas concerts at Cypress Bay High School? Or visit the original Artwalk in Weston Town Center? Have you ever enjoyed a Weston Foreign Films Series movie? Or stopped by the Weston Branch Library to marvel at the creations from the Student Artists Showcase? Did your kids ever tell you about the professional musicians who came to their school and introduced them to the instruments of the orchestra?
All these top-notch community events were begun with the foresight and support of a remarkable volunteer, Rochelle Koenig. She was a founder and early President of both the Weston Philharmonic Society, as it was then known, and the Arts Council of Greater Weston.
Sadly, Rochelle passed away on June 2, 2025. On November 28, 2025, at The Palace of Weston, Vice Mayor Henry Meade presented to the Koenig family a proclamation from the City of Weston recognizing the creative and lasting impact she has had on our city. Commissioner Byron Jaffe and the current presidents of the Arts Council, Laura Dobrzanski and the now Weston Music Society, Lou Marett, spoke about her passion and legacy.
A special treat was a piano recital by Juan Diego Molina, featuring a program he played when he won second place at a Carnegie Hall competition. The Koenig family, in Rochelle’s name, presented him with a $1400 scholarship. He hopes to attend Juilliard or the Frost School of Music.
Rochelle was born in Woburn, Massachusetts on August 22, 1934. She was one of the first women to graduate from Boston University’s School of Business. She volunteered with, among many other organizations, the South Florida Bar Auxiliary, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Jewish Federation Women’s Division, the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, the South Broward American Cancer Society. PACERS at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Circle of Friends at Alvin Sherman Library., American Association of University Women, and the Friends of the Museum of Art. She was on the Boards of most of these groups.
Rochelle had a long, happy life as the wife of Paul Koenig for nearly 70 years. Her 3 sons, 6 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren dearly loved her and recognized her as the “glue” that kept a large, extended family close. She summed up her life well by noting, “Helping others through volunteerism has been a way of life for me. It is important to give back to the community by developing programs, culture, activities, and needed services for the many organizations which make a difference in the lives of our South Florida community.”
We are all grateful for everything she did, all of which contributed to and will continue to contribute to the top ten ranking our city, Weston, regularly earns.
