Remembering Ronnie Eldridge: UWS Power Broker, Politician, Mom

“Even her enemies liked her.” That’s how Gordon Davis, who worked alongside Ronnie Eldridge in the office of Mayor John Lindsay remembered the lifelong Manhattanite, politician, power broker, mom and mensch in a tribute beamed into a filled-to-capacity Alder Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture at Central Park West and East 64th Street on Wednesday March 11.

Ronnie was born Roslyn Meyers in 1931, raised in a Jewish family and graduated Barnard College with a degree in political science. Eldridge later served as an advisor to politicians including Robert F. Kennedy, John Lindsay, Bella Abzug and Mario Cuomo and served on the New York City Council from 1989 until 2001. She died on March 4, 2026, at a Manhattan hospital. She was 95.

Right until the end she was hosting a talk show on CUNY-TV entitled “Staying Relevant.” And as her daughter Emily pointed out at the memorial, her mother, despite battling some health issues, “was not ready to toss in the towel.” She recently renewed her contract for a new season.

Upon news of her death, tributes poured in from solons across the city. Many of them attended the memorial, including Congressman Jerry Nadler; Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal; City Comptroller Mark Levine; and Gale Brewer, a longtime friend and the current incumbent in the Upper West Side City Council seat that Eldridge held for 12 years.

But it was close friends and family who took center stage at the memorial as the career pols listened to moving tributes from those who knew her best.

Eldridge’s son-in-law Michael Silberman, who married her daughter Emily, recalled that when Ronnie was visiting the couple in 2000 in Seattle, where they lived at the time, she was rear ended at a stop sign in an accident that was nearly fatal. Silberman said when he was finally able to speak to his indomitable mother-in-law after two days in intensive care, her first words were: “Now are you going to move back to New York?” Within a year, he said, they were back. “It was so important that she got another 25 years.”

Lucy Eldridge, the middle daughter, observed that long before the days of mobile phones, her mom would read the daily newspapers and make her daily round of morning phone calls while sitting in the bath tub with a phone that had a 25-foot-long cord. She recalled how at an early age she learned to balance two cups of coffee. And her mother would frequently say, “you know what I’d really like is a little piece of toast–and maybe an egg!” It was a practice that continued to for the rest of her mother’s life.

Lucy went on, telling the story of how her mother first revealed she was going to quit her job at her job as a producer at Channel 13– where she worked on shows such as “Woman Alive!”–to run in 1977 for Manhattan Borough President, sister Emily wondered “What are we going to do for money?”

To which Ronnie replied, “Dan has a job!”– referring to her son Daniel, who also spoke.

Eldridge’s first husband, Larry, who was the father to their three children, died at the age of 39, leaving Ronnie to care for the kids, all of whom were under ten. In 1982, she married Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper columnist and author Jimmy Breslin, whose wife Rose Mary had died from cancer. She and Jimmy spent over 30 years together. Breslin died in 2017. Together the blended family had seven children.

“We lived Ronnie’s life with her,” recalled Emily.

Ann Northrop recalled that, “I first met Ronnie at a lesbian bar.” Ronnie was a strong advocate of the LBGTQ+ crowd before it had the extended name. But Northrop recalled she made the mistake of inviting her to a meeting of Act Up the confrontational gay rights group, during the AIDS crisis, which had disdain for most elected officials.

Gabrielle Carlson, who runs an eponymously named design and fashion studio on the Upper West side said she first met Ronnie in 2011, soon after her shop opened. “She introduced me to world of powerful women who were her friends.” Carlson said she named a signature jacket after her, boasting “The Ronnie Jacket is still worn by many.”

Speaking of Ronnie’s clothes, when longtime friend Kathryn Grunes Moss spoke she noted, “I think I’m wearing a Ronnie jacket. I got it out of my closet.”

Three of Ronnie’s grown grandchildren, Glynnis Eldridge, Nathaniel Eldridge and Soph Silberman paid tribute to their beloved grandmother.

Lucy recalled her mother’s wish: Tell people instead of wearing black to mourn her passing to “wear yellow to celebrate her life.”

While not contradicting this wish, Gale Brewer did request that the flags at all city buildings flew at half staff in tribute to the passing of one of her friend and Upper West Side mentor. And as it happened, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered all state buildings to fly its flags at half staff also

“I was proud to have known Ronnie Eldridge— a dedicated public servant, a fierce advocate for the voiceless, and a trailblazer for women in politics,” said the Governor. “I am forever grateful for her service and influence, and send my heartfelt condolences to those whose lives she touched. May her memory be a blessing.”