Cindy and Paul Idell: Dedicated to Family, Community and The Arts

by Mike Nelson

New West Symphony is proud to honor long-time supporters Cindy & Paul Idell at Winterfest 2024.

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David and Philip, Cindy and Paul’s artistically talented sons

FOUNDATIONS AND FAMILY

The oldest of three sisters born to parents originally from Japan, Cindy grew up in San Francisco but lived from ages 10 to 18 in Tokyo, where her father managed the local office of an international mining and shipping company. She attended international schools with classmates from all over the world, including the children of diplomats.

Having started piano lessons at age 4, Cindy received additional music education at her first school, Nishimachi International School in Tokyo. “We started every day with an assembly,” she says, “where we sang ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth.’ I may not have appreciated the significance of this at the time, but I really appreciate it now.”

Any thoughts of a career, though, were minimal.  “My father raised my sisters and I insisting that we had to get married, have children and not have a career, so we could stay at home with our children,” she says. “I’m pretty sure his thinking was influenced by the death of his mother when he was a very young boy.”

At the same time, “my father thought it was important for us to go to college, because education was important.” So while she had “no career goals,” Cindy majored in biological sciences, her favorite subject in high school, at UC Davis and earned a bachelor’s degree.

She became an engineering assistant at Chevron Research, who sent her to computer programming classes, and eventually became a programmer/analyst for Chevron Technology.

Technical influences

On the other side of the U.S., Paul Idell grew up primarily in northern New Jersey, the oldest of two sons and two daughters. Their father was a Bell Laboratories electronics technician/engineer; their mother was a school teacher.

“I spent my kindergarten year in Oxnard, and my third to sixth grade years in Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, where Dad was stationed for work at the Kwajalein missile test range,” he says. “Mother taught ‘the other’ third grade class when I was at that grade level, as well as physical education on Kwajalein, and elementary school when we returned to New Jersey.”

Paul’s primary influences growing up were his parents and paternal grandparents, a carpenter and a parochial school teacher. His first job, fittingly, was as carpenter’s helper working with his grandfather during the summers in high school.

And while, like Cindy, he had no specific career goals growing up, “I was always interested in technical subjects, math and science, mostly due to my father’s influence.”

Earning an ROTC scholarship, Paul completed his Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Lehigh University, his Master’s at the Air Force Institute of Technology, his Ph.D. at Stanford University, and an additional Master’s in National Security and Security Studies at Naval War College.

Making the connection

It was toward the end of his 15 years in the U.S. Air Force, during his doctoral studies at Stanford, that Paul Idell attended a conference on the East Coast and ended up in the same check-in line at Newark International Airport as Cindy Fukuda, who had been in New York City for the weekend attending a friend’s wedding.

And between her jacket and smile, and his 49ers’ allegiance and intelligence, they hit it off, “and the rest is history,” says Cindy. They were married in 1989, Paul left the Air Force in 1991, and soon after took a job at Rockwell/Rocketdyne in Canoga Park.

Today, he is a Senior Technical Fellow at The Boeing Company (which acquired Rockwell in 1996), the only purely technical job of executive rank at Boeing. His work has included research, development and field validation of electro-optical and infrared camera systems, lasers, communications systems and astronomical related projects.

And, three decades-plus into his career, he says, “Work is so much fun, I can’t call it work!”

Family life: Challenges and joys

Not long after Paul began working at Rocketdyne, the Idells moved to the Conejo Valley, where “The housing was more affordable than in the San Fernando Valley,” says Cindy. “We visited and agreed that the Conejo Valley would be a great place to raise a family.” The Idells raised two sons: Paul, now 34, and David, now 31. Both have brought them immense joy, even amid challenges.

“Philip had a lot of anxiety growing up,” notes Cindy. “He excelled in math, as many musicians do, but he was happiest with music. At Westlake High School, he found his niche in the music program. He participated in the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra, his confidence and leadership skills grew, and by the end of high school, he was able to be weaned from his anxiety medication.”

Philip graduated from UCLA majoring in music education and percussion, and is now assistant band director at Murietta Vista High School in Murietta. “Philip is the reason we started subscribing to the New West Symphony,” says Cindy. “He wanted to see the performances.”

David, on the other hand, has “severe autism,” says Cindy. “He is very intelligent and resourceful, but he has limited verbal communication. But he has always been a talented artist. And as parents, Paul and I felt that David could be doing more purposeful and meaningful things in his life.”

David takes private painting and ceramics lessons, earns money for painting portraits of people’s pets, and participates in two programs for artists with developmental disabilities: Kindling Studios, housed at Studio Channel Islands in Camarillo, and Open Door Studios in Oxnard. Cindy manages Kindling Studios’ event software, oversees operations for its fall fundraiser, and has served on the board of Open Door Studios.

David specializes in drawing and acrylic painting

MAKING ARTS A PRIORITY

Philip’s and David’s artistic talent should not be surprising, given that Cindy and Paul each have artistic backgrounds of their own. “I have always been attracted to the visual arts — sketching, pen and ink, calligraphy — and in collecting interesting artworks,” says Paul. “And today I enjoy woodworking, mostly in a utilitarian sense, owing to my grandfather’s influence.”

For Cindy, music was front and center as she grew up. “Our house was always filled with music,” she recalls. “My parents were classical music lovers. I can still hear my father’s voice singing along to Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser, his favorite. My parents were also in a choir, which often rehearsed in our home, and my mother played the violin.”

Now enrolled in an adult piano class, she has always found music a source of joy, and comfort. “I clearly remember one evening,” she says, “when my family was invited to our friends’ house for dinner, after I’d had a very stressful day. My friend Jackie, a professional violinist, and her violinist friend performed the Bach Double Violin Concerto after dinner. As soon as they started playing, all my stress and anxiety evaporated. I realized the healing power of music.”

Joining New West Symphony

Several years after the Idells became New West Symphony subscribers, Cindy was answering phones at KCLU-FM during its pledge drive. Next to her was Sandee Kane, a NWS League member who, upon learning that Cindy was a subscriber, invited her to a League planning meeting.

At that first meeting in March 2011, Cindy was named League newsletter editor, a role in which she continues. Since then, her IT background has made her a key presence at the registration/check-out table for NWS fundraising events, managing the software at silent and live auctions. And as a talented and devoted baker, she has baked “cookie favors” for luncheons, and has made, alongside other League members, truffles as favors for galas.

“I have really enjoyed volunteering with the League,” she says. “The League members are my friends — intelligent, dedicated people. We have fun together with the common goal of supporting the New West Symphony.”

The Idells are Baton Society members, participate in NWS’ Adopt-A-Musician program, and are devoted to NWS’ educational outreach efforts, including Symphonic Adventures, Laby Harmony Project and Music Van. “We value introducing orchestral concerts and music education to children who may not otherwise have this opportunity,” says Paul.

Adds Cindy: “I see how Philip’s music program in elementary school and high school really helped him be included in a group and helped him find his niche in life. As a high school band mother, I saw what kind of funds, donations and hard work were needed to continue the program. And I want to make sure these programs are available to all students.”

Love and appreciation

In addition to their artistic activities, the Idells spend time traveling, reading (Paul, mainly non-fiction, science and historical fiction), baking (Cindy, famous for her butter cookies) and playing catch with their dog, Merlin Turbo. They enjoy attending concerts, opera and musical theater. And they appreciate their blessings, especially their sons and each other.

“Cindy has been a committed, caring mother to our sons, and is the friendliest and most helpful person I know,” says Paul. “She laughs at most all of my jokes. And she helps me work toward what is still my goal in life: Learn to be patient, and treat others as I would like to be treated.”

Cindy speaks warmly of Paul’s devotion, his support of New West Symphony and participation in philanthropic efforts. “It really helps me,” she says, “to count my blessings and be grateful for what I have. Everyone has their challenges. Paul and I have ours, but we are very fortunate. Paul has a great job. We haven’t had to worry about getting food on the table. And our special needs son has allowed us to meet wonderful friends — we can’t imagine our life without them. Friends and family are very important. They provide us with support to help us through our challenges and share in our joys.”

Having a special needs child, she adds, helps them empathize with other people facing challenges. “I think Paul and I have become better people for this.”

The New West Symphony Board of Directors and staff are proud to honor Cindy and Paul Idell for their unwavering commitment and generosity.