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. ■
32906 Middlebelt Rd (at 14 Mile)
(248) 855-0007
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