A Lifetime Friendship

It was 1969 when Stanley Ginsburg first met Ira Ingerman.

Stanley, following his discharge from the military, joined Arrow Display Company, which had been founded by his father before he passed away in 1948 at the age of 43. Now owned by one of his father’s partners, the business was doing well, and Stanley was working his way up through the ranks since his initial hiring.

As the son of a businessman, Stanley always had a keen interest in business and management. In fact, as a teen, he would often spend time poring over copies of Fortune magazine, a habit that he adopted from his father. The role at Arrow was a good fit, and Stanley had a vested interest in seeing it succeed.
By 1969, Arrow was on the hunt for a “numbers guy” to help balance the books and manage finances, but Stanley and the team needed to find the right fit.
As they searched for a suitable candidate for the finance role, Stanely met Ira, who had been working as a CPA. “They had complementary personalities: Ira was handling accounting and managing the books, and my father was focused on sales, so it was a good fit,” says Stanely’s son, Marc.

Little did Ira and Stanley know how much their relationship would blossom over the years.
As Philadelphia public school graduates – Stanley from Central High School, and Ira from Overbrook High School – they immediately clicked. Both were driven businessman with a devotion to family, and over time their work lives and personal lives became inextricably linked.

Eventually, the pair bought Arrow Display Company from its owners and launched a business relationship that would last more than 50 years. Over the years they started and grew multiple businesses in addition to Arrow Display: Sparks, Magic Marker Corporation, and Equivest Development, Inc. The strength of their trust in each other was evident in how their business arrangements were structured: there were no formal written agreements between the two, just a unified commitment that each business or piece of real estate was a sound investment.

The bond between the two extended far beyond their business relationships. They shared a house in Atlantic City and bought condos in the same building in Boca Raton, FL. Their children – Stanley had three and Ira five – grew up together, and the pair would talk on a daily basis about work, life, and the future.

In 2019, Ira began noticing some mild symptoms that prompted a visit to the doctor. In a shocking turn, Ira’s symptoms were indicative of something far worse than anyone expected: cancer. Within a year, Ira succumbed to cancer of the pancreas and lung, and Stanley’s friend and business partner of more than 50 years was gone.

Stanley was shattered, but ever the philanthropist, he searched for a meaningful way to acknowledge his friend. As a long-time supporter of Wistar, he documented an irrevocable $1,000,000 charitable remainder unitrust gift that would one day establish a fund in Ira’s memory at the Institute.

With Stanley’s passing in 2023, followed by his wife Arlene in 2024, Stanley’s generous provision has now been realized, establishing The Stan and Arlene Ginsburg Family Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund in memory of Ira Ingerman at Wistar in 2025.

This endowed fund will generate income every year in perpetuity to support pancreatic cancer research at Wistar and allows Ira and Stanely’s names – along with their friendship and generosity – to live long into the future. “My father would be so honored to know that Stanley established a fund that has the potential to benefit those fighting cancer,” says his daughter, Cindy. “It’s such a wonderful tribute to their longstanding partnership and focus on creating meaningful impact and progress.”

“My dad was always philanthropic and wanted to recognize the 50-year relationship he had with Ira,” says Marc. “This is a perfect way to do that.”
If you’re interested in establishing a legacy gift or memorializing a loved one through charitable support, please contact the Development Team, or learn more here.