Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.com
`Chairman
Of The
Board'
DAVID SACHS
Editorial Assistant
Jr
ust what motivated Robert
Sosnick to build 10 giant
office towers that trans-
formed the skyline of
Oakland County?
And what explains his tireless
efforts to help create the $62 million
Jewish Fund from the proceeds of the
Sinai Hospital sale?
Ultimately, said Rabbi Paul
Yedwab of Temple Israel, his real
estate development career was driven
by a desire to provide financial secu-
rity for his family.
Likewise, his Jewish communal
work was meant to furnish a sense of
security for the communal family.
When friends and family consid-
ered the legacy of Mr. Sosnick, who
died of lung cancer March 16 at age
66, it was not to be found in the steel-
and-glass skyscrapers he built — such
as Travelers Towers I and II in
Southfield and Top of Troy. It was in
the two families he nurtured: his own
and the Detroit Jewish community.
Mr. Sosnick, of Bloomfield Hills,
may not have been a household
name like William Davidson, owner
of the Detroit Pistons, or David
Hermelin, former ambassador to
Norway, his partners in Palace
Sports and Entertainment in Auburn
Hills, but he preferred it that way.
He took quiet pride in his accom-
plishments and quiet pleasure in
making his two families happy.
One might think a successful real
estate developer and philanthropist
who was a partner in a professional
sports and concert venue would live
the high life and circulate prominently
in the public eye. Mr. Sosnick, who
definitely had an independent streak,
found pleasure in spending time at
home with his family and with his col-
lection of contemporary art.
His wife, Susan "SuSu" Sosnick,
said, "We were always the most
important thing to him. His family
relationships came before anything.
Robert Sosnick
He never played cards, he never played
golf, he never played tennis. He could-
n't have cared less about going out
with the boys. He always wanted to be
with us."
His fascination with art was
intense and lifelong. "He had the
most exciting art collection in the
city," said his wife. "It was unbeliev-
able, his foresight. He was ahead of
his time on contemporary art." He
even served at one time on the
board of trustees of the Whitney
Museum of American Art in New
York City.
But when it came to getting
things done, as founder of REDICO
(Real Estate Development and
Investment Company) or in Jewish
communal affairs, Mr. Sosnick was a
dynamo. He was chosen, along with
Peter Cummings, to develop the
future Compuware building, called
pivotal to the revitalization of down-
town Detroit.
SuSu Sosnick compared her hus-
band's boundless drive to the Frank
Sinatra standard, "My Way."
Speaking at the funeral March 19 at
Ira Kaufman Chapel, son Tony Sosnick
read the lyrics of the song. And, he
added, "He was chairman of the board,
always in charge of everything.
"He was the most organized, the
most visionary, forward-thinking per-
son," said his son. "He could take a
situation, see the big picture, the mid-
dle picture and down to the details.
He understood everything in such a
quick, quick way.
"He did everything with an
enormous amount of
integrity, with a huge
amount of empathy for his
friends, his family and peo-
ple in his business world.
He really just did it his
way."
Penny Blumenstein, pres-
ident of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, recalls that Mr.
Sosnick was vice chairman
of the Sinai Hospital board
of trustees at the time of the
hospital's sale to the Detroit Medical
Center. "He was instrumental in help-
ing to create the Jewish Fund through
his work in making sure that the
Jewish community was the beneficiary
of the sale of Sinai Hospital. As a
result, thousands of people are being
helped every year," she said.
Robert Aronson, CEO of
Federation, said, "He was the engine
that was driving the train, without
question, the major inspiration. His
legacy," said Aronson, "is that we
will have a fund of money for gener-
ations and generations to come that
will ensure that no Jewish person is
without help in a time of need.
"The elderly, the immigrant, chil-
dren with special needs, or families —
what I call the vulnerable people in
our community — will always have a
source of support."
Rabbi Yedwab, in his eulogy of Mr.
Sosnick, spoke of his countless "silent
mitzvot" — acts of charity done in
total anonymity. It was Mr. Sosnick
who single-handedly financed the cre-
ation of Temple Israel's Family Life
Center, on the condition that neither
the rabbi nor the temple members
were told of his role.
Daughter Cathy Sosnick Schwartz
said, "He really was very quiet about
everything that he did. If he was
going to do things, he made sure
that he would remain anonymous."
Added son Tony, "There were many
things that he's done that I didn't even
know about. Some of these stories I'm
hearing for the first time."
Rabbi Yedwab described Mr.
Sosnick as a self-made man, "starting
out with nothing but a brilliant
mind, an incomparable work ethic, a
good sense of values, almost no need
for sleep and a driving need to create
security for those whom he loved.
"He brought the Weizmann
Institute to the attention of the
Detroit Jewish community, as he did
also the Israel Museum," said the
rabbi.
Tom Wilson, president of Palace
Sports and Entertainment, credits
Mr. Sosnick as the key force ensuring
that the privately financed Palace of
Auburn Hills was developed in an
economically viable manner. Yet, Mr.
Sosnick was neither a sports fan nor
a follower of popular performers.
He liked taking his family to the
Palace, however, taking pride in the
pleasure it gave to others.
"Bobby gave much more than he
got," said Hermelin. "But he did get
back, because there's joy from being
helpful in the community and influ-
encing others to be helpful in the
community."
Robert Sosnick is survived by his
wife, SuSu Sosnick, daughters and
sons-in-law Julie Sosnick of Florida,
Karen Sosnick Schoenberg and
Jeffrey Schoenberg of Bloomfield
Hills, Catherine Sosnick Schwartz
and Dr. Charles Schwartz of
Bloomfield Hills; son Tony Sosnick
of New York and fiancee Katrin
Yaghoubi; grandson Jason Cyrulnik;
mother Ruth Sosnick; sisters and
brothers-in-law Phyllis and Stanley
Satovsky of Bloomfield Hills, Sharon
and Gar Alperovitz of Washington,
D.C.; and brother and sister-in-law
Oakland County Circuit Court
Judge Edward and Darlene Sosnick
of Bloomfield Hills.
He was the loving son of the late
Harry Sosnick.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Robert Sosnick Memorial
Fund at Temple Israel.
3/24
❑
akr-k
2000
145