Original influencer: Longtime Naples Daily News real estate editor Maxine Ginsberg dies at 83
Longtime Naples Daily News home and real estate editor Maxine Ginsberg died Oct. 12 at her Naples home. She was 83.
For nearly 19 years, Ginsberg served as home and real estate editor ― from March 1984 to January 2003 during the heyday of print advertising and news for the local real estate market. On Sundays, the multiple real estate sections combined frequently exceeded 100 pages.
“Long before there was social media, Maxine Ginsberg was an influencer,” Joanne Mamenta, former features editor, said in a text.
Ginsberg wrote a weekly column, profiled homes and sometimes wrote entertainment reviews for the arts section.
“During Collier County’s housing boom, there was no one more well known than Maxine," Mamenta said. "She probably received more invites to groundbreaking parties and ribbon-cutting ceremonies than the mayor."
Maxine Ginsberg a child of New England
Ginsberg was born May 5, 1940, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Harold and Anna Ambush.
She met her husband, Michael Ginsberg, from Fall River, Massachusetts, and they were married when she was a junior at Tufts University (then Jackson College for Women) in Massachusetts. She graduated from Tufts in 1962 with their 4-month-old daughter in attendance.
Earlier in her career before journalism, she was an independent public relations professional for businesses that included a product testing laboratory, an insurance company, a clothing store and a girls’ ice hockey team.
The family moved to Framingham, Massachusetts, where she and her husband opened and operated three bicycle shops. Her husband’s younger brother, Larry Ginsberg, who had moved in with them years earlier after the death of his parents, was key in helping operate the stores.
Ginsberg was well known for never forgetting a face or a bicycle; she remembered customers’ names and the model of their bicycles years after the purchases.
Ginsberg moved to Naples 39 years ago
In 1984 she and her husband moved to Naples. At home she was known for entertaining and having elaborate Thanksgivings for the extended family. She often started dishes months in advance. She was fond of creating intricate decorated cakes.
At the Daily News, Ginsberg was a stickler for detail and renown for her nuanced descriptions. She held steadfast to her guidelines for homes she would feature for their interior design and décor; they could not be on the market or soon be on the market.
The business community vied for her attention. Her phone never stopped ringing. Her patience was extraordinary.
“Every builder, contractor, developer, real estate agent and PR person clamored for her favor, crossing their fingers she’d give their project a shoutout in the home and real estate section of the NDN,” Mamenta said.
Ginsberg's daughter remembers how the job was demanding but her mother was fair and had fun.
“I marveled at how quickly she turned out insightful and eloquent home profiles, from mansions to modest residences,” Caryn Ginsberg said.
“Her weekly columns spanned topics ranging from the end of the road for her beloved couch to the humorous prognostications for panthers, the Internet and retail stores,” her daughter said.
Life after the Naples Daily News
In a Jan. 1, 2000 column, she predicted for 2003: "(The) last Florida panther will be plucked from the one remaining acre of its habitat and the last unshredded manatee will be fished from its puddle and the two will be used to create a new breed of Florida amphibian, one that will not only roar at and claw boats that are careless of sea creatures but dive into canals when threatened by speeding vehicles."
After her husband’s death in 2009, Ginsberg continued to visit Horseneck Beach in Westport, Massachusetts, every year that was a cherished spot during their marriage.
Ginsberg remained upbeat during her 3½-year journey with cancer and true to character, largely in control.
The family expressed deep gratitude to Dr. Steven Newman and the staff at Florida Cancer Specialists, at Avow Hospice and Home Instead for their hard work and compassionate care.
Survivors include her two children, Caryn Ginsberg, of Arlington, Virginia, and Steven Ginsberg, of San Francisco, who were by her side.
In addition to her children, Ginsberg is survived by her daughter-in-law Ingrid Overgard, of San Francisco; her son-in-law Michael Levitin, of Arlington; brother-in-law Larry Ginsberg; and sister-in-law Rena Ginsberg of Pocasset, Massachusetts.
In accordance with her wishes, a private family service will be held in New Bedford, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to PBS or Compassion & Choices.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Maxine Ginsberg: Longtime Naples real estate, home editor dies at 83
