Richmond philanthropist dies in Kentucky amid severe weekend storms
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Richmond resident and Recycling Center Inc. co-founder Debra Edelman died over the weekend in Kentucky as a series of storms swept through the region.
Edelman was 93.
Her death was reported by Russell County Coroner Mark Coots in Kentucky, according to WKYT-TV. Coots told the station that Edelman likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning that was the result of an old, faulty generator she was using due to a power outage caused by Friday night’s storms. Edelman was staying on a houseboat at the time in the town of Jamestown, Kentucky.
Edelman, along with her husband Jack Edelman who died in 2017, founded Recycling Center Inc. in 1974 and also owned Franklin Iron & Metal Corp. in Dayton, Ohio.
The Edelmans have donated over $2 million to the Reid Health Foundation in Richmond after Jack Edelman was treated at the facility. In 2018, the health group renamed its outpatient cardiac catheterization center after Jack Edelman.
The couple also donated to Ivy Tech Community College. The system’s Richmond campus awarded Debra Edelman its Benefactor Award in 2024 for her donations to help the school’s healthcare simulation labs.
Edelman was one of 19 people who died in Kentucky as a result of the recent storms, according to state officials. During the storms, an EF3 tornado with winds of 155 mph was recorded.