72 August 29 • 2019
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STEVEN GLENN 
AVERBUCH, 69, of West 
Bloomfield, died Aug. 19, 
2019. 
He is survived by his 
beloved wife, Maralyn 
Averbuch; sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Aaron and Joelle Averbuch, 
Jared and Ilana Averbuch; daughter 
and son-in-law, Elana and Rabbi Daniel 
Schwartz; grandchildren, Aviva and Asher 
Averbuch, Jenna and Avi Schwartz, Millie 
and Stella Averbuch; sisters and brothers-in-
law, Sharon and Jeffrey Diskin, and Susan 
Averbuch and Michael Schechter; many lov-
ing cousins, nieces, nephews, other family 
members and friends. 
Interment was held at Beth Abraham 
Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions 
may be made to the Michigan Youth Soccer 
Association or the Skin Cancer Foundation. 
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

WILLIAM L. BRAUN, 81, of 
Farmington Hills, died Aug. 
23, 2019. 
He is survived by his 
daughters and sons-in-law, 
Robin Braun of Farmington 
Hills, Lauren and Barb 
Braun of Novi, Rachel and Raed Jawad of 
Dearborn; brother, Jules Braun; grandchil-
dren, Aniss, Andy, Aya. 
Contributions may be made to Temple 
Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West 
Bloomfield, MI 48323; Myasthenia Gravis, 
mg-Mi.org; or B’
nai B’
rith, 5600 W
. Maple 
Road, A-100, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. 
Interment was held at Hebrew Memorial 
Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial 
Chapel.

MORLEY COOPER died 
Aug. 16, 2019. 
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 
14, 1932, he lived in Detroit 
until moving to Tucson 24 
years ago. He lived a wonder-
ful and full almost 87 years. 
He had a youthful spirit that belied his 
number of birthdays. Morley was an avid 
golfer with the Grumpy Old Men until he 
had to give it up due to a hip injury. He 
was an avid bridge player at Streams Club, 
a bowler, a member of ROMEOS and a 
devoted caregiver in his “retirement.
”
His welcoming smile and willing heart 
will be what are remembered by those who 
knew him. 
Mr. Cooper leaves his beloved wife of 25 
years, Mary L. Cooper; children, Jeffrey, 
Jon (Julie), Michael (Sanda), Julie (David) 
Sipchen and Joshua (Meg) Keys; loving 

soul

of blessed memory

Fashion Retailer Ernest Schwartz Dies at 96

SHARI COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
E

rnest Schwartz, past chairman 
of the Detroit-based nation-
al women’
s fashion chain, 
Albert’
s, died Aug. 17, 2019, at age 
96 in West Bloomfield. 
For decades, Schwartz led and 
expanded a multi-generational 
family business begun by his father, 
Albert, who opened a women’
s 
clothing store on Detroit’
s 
east side in 1933. His wife, 
Bertha, as well as daughter 
Connie and son Ernest all 
worked there. After return-
ing from service in the Air 
Force during World War II, 
Ernest Schwartz opened a 
second Albert’
s, also located 
on the east side.
The family retailing 
tradition continued when 
Connie married William Klinsky, a 
lawyer and they opened a women’
s 
clothing store in Dearborn. The 
three stores were incorporated as a 
chain in 1958. 
According to Ernest’
s son Mark 
Schwartz, brother-in-law Bill 
Klinsky handled the operational 
end of the Albert’
s chain, including 
leasing stores, while his father took 
charge of merchandising — buying 
and designing the stores. It was a 
winning combination. At its peak, 
Albert’
s had 80 stores located in 39 
cities in five states. According to 
Mark Schwartz, Albert’
s sold mod-
erately priced clothing for women of 
all ages. 
Albert’
s was an original tenant 
at the Northland Mall, which was 

the first regional shopping mall in 
the U.S. when it opened in 1954. 
The location — which was quite a 
distance from the homes of some 
Detroit customers — seemed risky. 
At the time, Schwartz said, “we were 
frightened to death at taking a store 
out in some wilderness that was a 
cow pasture. The decision to go … 
took a little arm twisting.”
However, on opening 
day, long lines of cars wait-
ed to enter the Northland 
Mall Shopping Center, and 
it quickly became a very 
popular regional shopping 
destination. As Northland 
prospered, so did Albert’
s, 
which followed Hudson’
s 
to other shopping centers. 
When American fash-
ion styles started to change, Albert’
s 
added a new retailing concept for 
younger shoppers at Northland — 
opening The Alcove, run by Ron 
Schwartz, Mark’
s older brother, in 
1970. That store featured loud rock 
music, a mirrored tunnel entrance 
and chrome tube dressing rooms.
“The Alcove was the most exciting 
store in Northland,” Ernest Schwartz 
said in in a 1984 interview, when 
Northland celebrated its 30th anni-
versary. Mark Schwartz, who was 
a junior dress buyer at Albert’
s for 
several years, continued the family 
retailing tradition by starting an 
upscale store for younger women, 
Scott Gregory, in 1983, also at 
Northland.
“My father was a great leader and 

inspirer of other people. He was a 
rah-rah cheerleader — an enthusias-
tic, positive personality,” Mark said. 
The family sold Albert’
s to Interco, 
a conglomerate, in 1978 and some 
family members continued to work 
there for several years. Interco later 
sold Albert’
s to Brooks Fashions, and 
their subsidiary, T. Edwards, took 
over The Alcove. There are no stores 
with the Albert’
s name operating 
today. 
While Schwartz was chairman 
of Albert’
s, he traveled frequently 
on business, spending one week a 
month in New York, his son said. 
He and his wife, Edith, enjoyed 
opera and the arts, and Schwartz 
played golf at Knollwood Country 
Club. They were members of Temple 
Emanu-El and contributors to the 
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit.
In his 60s and early 70s, Schwartz 
began running 5- and 10-K 
mini-marathons. “But really his 
hobby was being with Edie. “He 
would say ‘
Edie isn’
t my wife. She’
s 
my life,’
” Mark said. 
After retirement, they moved to 
Scottsdale, Ariz., and eventually to 
Santa Fe, N.M., where they became 
major collectors of southwestern 
art. “Their home was like a mini-art 
museum, and they donated most of 
their collection to the Museum of New 
Mexico Foundation, which then gave 
their artwork to several New Mexican 
art museums,
” Mark said. They were 
active in a Santa Fe temple.
Schwartz was the husband of the 
late Edith Schwartz. He is sur-
vived by sons and daughters-in-
law, Ronald (Yvonne) Schwartz 
and Mark (Wendy) Schwartz; 
grandchildren, Scott (Rachel) 
Schwartz, Greg (Nikki) Schwartz 
and Kate (Jeff) Schwartz-Palmer. 
Schwartz was the brother of the 
late Constance “Connie” Klinsky 
and brother-in-law of William 
Klinsky and Harold Sucher. 
The family suggests memorial 
contributions to the Alzheimer’
s 
Association - Greater Michigan 
Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, 
Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, 
alz.org/gmc. ■

 

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