Obituaries
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Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
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Show Business Man
Harry Nederlander
circa 1988
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
II arty Nederlander, in the
final days of his failing bat-
tle against cancer, still
checked up on the family
network of theater operations. From his
winter home in California's Rancho
Mirage, he called his Bloomfield Hills
office to inquire about ticket sales for
Mamma Mia!, the musical now playing
at his Masonic Temple Theatre.
"Show business, as the name con-
notes, is a business," Mr. Nederlander
told the Jewish News last summer as his
Fisher Theatre was beginning its 40th
anniversary season. "Sure we're making
contributions to the arts — and that's
all marvelous — but if [a theater] isn't
run like a business, it's soon out of
business."
Mr. Nederlander was 84 when he
died Jan. 5 in California. At that time,
he was president of the Nederlander
Co., making him part of a family ven-
ture operating some 25 performance
venues in the United States, Canada
and Great Britain, He also was a mem-
ber of the Bloomfield Hills Country
Club in Michigan and the Morningside
Country Club in California.
All of his years in the business, he
told the Jewish News, never diminished
the feeling of exhilaration he felt in any
theater — especially when the produc-
tion was a hit.
"Harry was my oldest brother, and
LOIS BRESSLER, 79, formerly of Oak
Park of Mission Hills, Calif, died Dec.
21, in Las Vegas.
She is survived by her husband, Harry
now of Las Vegas; sons, Mark and Gary;
grandchildren, Randi, Jamie, Daniel,
Allison, Max and Ben.
TOBY BRODER, 78, of West
Bloomfield, died Jan. 1. For 45 years, she
was the director of transportation for
United Hebrew Schools and a member of
his attitude toward me was very pater-
nal," said Joseph Nederlander, one of
_ six siblings whose interest in the stage
was passed down from their father, the
late David Tobias (D.T.) Nederlander,
who launched the family enterprise in
Detroit. "Until Harry became very sick,
he used to see every show, but he didn't
go for
[hoopla] of opening night
performances."
Harry Nederlander graduated from
Detroit Country Day School, where he
earned letters in baseball, football and
basketball. He attended the University
of Michigan and served in the U.S.
Army Ordinance Corps during World
War II.
As he worked his way up in man-
agement roles in the family business,
Mr. Nederlander sold tickets, swept
aisles and did other menial tasks to
learn operations.
'As long as we kept growing, the
business kept growing, too," said Mr.
Nederlander, who produced shows at
the Birmingham Theatre from 1979-
94. "My father taught us to stick
together and support one another
because a house divided is not very
good."
Frances Nederlander Kohn, his only
sister, stayed close after marrying and
leaving the city when she was 20.
Although she never took part in the
business as her brothers did, she shared
their love of the stage.
The Kingpin
"I saw Harry three weeks ago, and he
was still the kingpin," Kohn says. "He
had many friends. Among my best
early memories are times when crowds
used to visit our summer home on Pine
Lake [in West Bloomfield Township].
Harry [an owner of the New York
Yankees beginning in 1973] always
loved baseball, and all the kids played
the Jewish War Veterans.
Ms. Broder is survived by her sisters
and brother-in-law, Ruth and George
Aaron of Florida,
Shirley Siefman of
Bloomfield Hills; nieces
and nephews, Judy
Korby, Jerry Aaron and
Ruth Spencer Aaron,
Hillary and Chuck Bale,
Jay Siefman and Kathy
Kay Siefman, Cynthia
Toby Broder
there. Hank Greenberg used to visit,
and that was such a thrill for all the
baseball fans."
Mr. Nederlander's parents, D.T. and
Sarah (Applebaum) Nederlander, along
with their children, also entertained lots
of the stars performing in their Detroit
venues, including Al Jolson and George
Jessel. Although the family had been
members of Temple Beth El, Jewish
observance was not strong in their
home.
Harry Nederlander, who was cre-
mated, is being memorialized in a ser-
vice at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 11, at
Christ Church Cranbrook in
Bloomfield Hills. The arrangements
were made so that his remains would
be close to the resting-place selected by
his wife, Marjorie, in the Christ
Church Cranbrook Columbaria.
Mr. Nederlander is survived by his
wife, Marjorie, of Bloomfield Hills;
children, Robert Wayne Nederlander
of New York, Harry Jay "Skip"
Nederlander Jr. of Palm Springs,
Calif., Scott (Dawn) Nederlander of
Rancho Mirage, Kathryn (Arnold)
Raft of Bloomfield Hills and W.
Kimball (Kristin) Breech of Florida;
grandchildren Taylor, Sarah,
Chandra, Erin, Chad, Lauren and
Kristin; sister Frances Nederlander
Kohn of Cleveland; and brothers
James (Charlene) Nederlander of
New York, Frederick (Betty)
Nederlander of Franklin, Joseph
(Carole) Nederlander of Bloomfield
Hills and Robert (Gladys)
Nederlander of New York.
Memorial donations may be made
to the Wayne State University Apple
Award, 5104 Gullen Mall, Detroit,
MI 48202; or the Michigan
Association for Children with
Emotional Disorders (MACED),
15920 W. 12 Mile Rd., Suite 201,
Southfield, MI 48076. Fl
B. Siefman, Robert and Marilyn Siefinan;
great nieces and great-nephews, Eryn
Korby, Amy Aaron, Andrew and Kali
Bale, Jeffrey, Beckey and Alana Siefman,
Josh and Jasmine Siefman. She was the
dear sister-in-law of the late Alberts
Siefman.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to William Beaumont Hospice or a can-
cer research fund. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
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