obituaries Entrepreneurial Spirit Ronelle Grier Contributing Writer I n his 102 years, Albert Dubin experienced the gamut of life, from a frightened child in a Russian pogrom to the chief executive of a suc- cessful company and the patriarch of a large and loving family. Mr. Dubin, who lived with his wife, Pauline, in Boca Raton, Fla., and Bloomfield Hills, died Aug. 9, 2015. Albert embodied the old-fashioned entrepreneurial spirit, arriving in America as a young boy with no English or vocational skills to become an instru- mental part of the national enterprise now known as Vlasic Foods. Just before World War I, Albert's father left his infant son and wife in the village of Ignatanka near Kiev while he went to America to create a better life and then send for the family. When the war broke out, Albert and his mother were strand- ed. In the turmoil of war and pogroms, Albert was separated from his mother for two years. After foraging for food and shelter and working odd jobs, Albert was reunited with his mother in 1923 and together they came to Detroit to join Albert's father. Despite his lack of English skills, Albert quickly caught up to his school- mates while taking on a variety of jobs to help the family. At Central High School, he was an excellent student as well as a varsity track and field athlete. During his high school years, Albert met Joseph "Joe" Vlasic, another hard-working and determined immigrant, who offered Albert a job in his drugstore. While Albert worked in the drugstore and studied accounting at night, Joe began a creamery that later became the state's largest distribu- torship for the Borden Company. Eventually, the Vlasic company added other products such as hams, horseradish and pickles, using glass jars to store the pickles when cucumber sup- plies dwindled during World War II. Albert contributed his accounting skills and his natural busi- ness acumen to the business as it con- tinued to grow. He Albert Dubin became the company's chief financial officer and later its president, working alongside the Vlasic family for 50 years until Vlasic Foods was sold to the Campbell Soup Company in 1978. Albert and his wife, Evelyn, were hap- pily married for 35 years, until her death in 1971. They raised a family and created a nurturing home despite Albert's long workdays that often began at five in the morning and lasted until 10 at night. Albert taught his children to ride bicycles and took them ice skating on the pond in Palmer Park. He relished the concept of shalom bayit, peace in the home, and was always in a good mood, refusing to complain regardless of the situation. Life began anew for Albert when he met Pauline, a beautiful widow, who shared his life for the past 40 years. They did everything together: playing golf, traveling the world and enjoying a won- derful group of friends in Boca Raton. He and Pauline had a secret hand sig- nal. She squeezed his hand to say "I love you:' and he would squeeze back to say "I love you more a practice they contin- ued on his deathbed. Despite Albert's extraordinary suc- cess in the business world, his fam- ily was his greatest achievement. He enjoyed taking trips with his children and grandchildren, and remembered everyone's birthdays and special events, including the great- grandchildren's. He remained humble throughout his life, never forgetting his modest beginnings or the importance of family. He held lively conversations with the younger generations about the business world, passing on his belief that hard work was more important than how much money one made. Albert's commitment to the com- munity is exemplified by the Albert and Pauline Dubin Oral History Archives endowment, which was presented by the family in honor of Albert's 100th birthday. The archives, at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, con- tain audio and video interviews of more than 100 Jewish Detroit leaders and will allow other important life stories to be told and preserved for generations to come. Staying in shape was important to Albert. He did calisthenics every morn- ing, jogged, swam and played golf well into his old age. At 85, he shot his age on the golf course. His routine also included moderate amounts of scotch and cigars. His philosophy is best summed up by the words Albert wrote on the occasion of his 100th birthday celebration, read by Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield at the family graveside service held Aug. 13: "You can do anything any other person can do. You are capable of anything you dream of doing. All you have to do is work for it. The greater the odds against success, the harder a man with a dream will strive and take calculated risks." Albert Dubin is survived by his beloved wife, Pauline Dubin; daughters, Sandra Frankel and Roslyn Silverman; son, Howard (Jean) Dubin; grandchil- dren, Bradley and Amy Dubin, Benjamin and Elizabeth Gottlieb, Robyn Frankel, Wendy and Brian Rubin, Paul and Jill Frankel, Marc and Patti Silverman, Faith and Jeffrey Gleiberman, Heidi Prosserman, Adam and Ora Silverman, Phil and Andrea Bershad, Jay Slatkin, Julie Felderstein, Mathew and Angela Reinstein, and Chelsea Sporn; and many great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Pauline's children, Brina Reinstein, Donna and Robert Slatkin; and Pauline's daughter-in-law, Allison Sporn. He was the dear husband of the late Evelyn Dubin; brother of the late Jules Dubin and the late Minna Dubin; grand- father of the late Jennifer Stern; and step- father of the late Neil Sporn. Contributions may be made to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Albert and Pauline Dubin Oral Archives, 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, (248) 642-4260, www. jewishdetroit.org. Arrangements were by the Ira Kaufman Chapel. ❑ Obituaries on page 74 Proud to partner with the Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network CHOOSE THE EXPERTS Hospice of Michigan Keep your company top of mind with our readers CARING FOR THE DETROIT JEWISH COMMUNITY SINCE 1980 WWW.HOM.ORG ADVERTISE WITH US! CALL 248.351.5107 CALL 24/7 TOLLFREE: (888) 247-5701 JN Visit theJEWISHNEWS.com 1978090 Obituaries August 20 • 2015 73