A Visionary Bequest

Gabor Tigyi fulfills charitable legacy of Paul and Jolanda Penczner

(Jan. 11, 2024) In 1973, at age 14, Gabor Tigyi found himself in a lively community of Central and Eastern European expats in Memphis—a group that included his uncle, whom he would visit from Hungary, and their hosts, renowned artist Paul Penczner and his wife, Jolanda. The teen, like the immigrant intellectuals and professionals who made up the Penczner’s social circle, was drawn to their hospitality and joie de vivre.

That introduction sparked a decades-long friendship between Tigyis and the Penczners, one that deepened after he earned his medical degree, settled in Memphis with his family, and began a long career in the Department of Physiology at UT Health Science Center.

“Paul and I clicked because we are both researchers: he in the arts and I in life sciences. I think that was the unspoken bond between the two of us. Paul was an experimentalist who researched the boundaries of visual arts. He had a keen interest in the research that I was doing,” shares Tigyi.

The Penczners were fascinated by the potential of physiological inquiry to make scientific breakthroughs. Physiology is the fundamental science of how organs and the body work. Under Dr. Tigyi’s tenure as chair of the Department of Physiology, UT’s became one of the preeminent departments in the country.

Tigyi and the Penczners remained close until Paul’s death in 2010 and Jolanda’s 2023 passing.

This past year, as trustee of their estate, Dr. Tigyi fulfilled their charitable legacy by establishing the Paul J. and Jolanda M. Penczner Research Endowment Fund and the Paul J. and Jolanda M. Penczner Scholarship in Physiology Fund at the Community Foundation.

The two legacy funds will support post-doctoral students developing their careers to become independent investigators and assist the research needs of faculty and staff in the Department of Physiology. The awardees will maintain the excellence of research in the department at UT and support students in the early stage of their careers. “Want to go to a conference? Buy a piece of equipment? We’ll help you,” explains Tigyi.

Chance brought Paul and Jolanda Penczner to Memphis. A Hungarian and a German native, respectively, they emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. After disembarking in New Orleans “penniless with a suitcase” as Tigyi says, a man greeted them, gave them $50, and advised, “Don’t go to Nashville, go to Memphis.” Here, Paul became one of the city’s most prominent artists and art instructors; Jolanda was a shop owner and skilled jewelry maker.

Paul Penczner was an artist of exceptional talent and boundless creativity. He produced an extraordinary amount of art in a variety of styles and media into his nineties. In his long career, he showcased his varied art in major exhibitions across the U.S.; his paintings are in the collections of the Vatican Museum and the White House.

Success in creative endeavors created a sizable estate, which the Penczners entrusted Dr. Tigyi to execute. It’s a duty he takes very seriously. And one for which he chose to partner with the Community Foundation because of his trust in the foundation to fulfill donor intent and steward the funds responsibly.

“Paul was a visionary in his art, and I think in his bequest equally.” says Tigyi. “Being able to honor intent is very important. I’m here to realize the intent and the dreams that they had for the future after they passed.”

Through the bequests, the Penczners ensure that young scientists—often themselves not U.S. natives—can thrive and find opportunity in the city where the couple found community. And, by relying on the Community Foundation, their trusted and loyal friend safeguards their charitable legacy for the future.