48 | MARCH 26 • 2020 

Soul
of blessed memory

A Versatile Man
R

obert L. Fenton, 90, of 
West Bloomfield, died 
March 16, 2020. 
As a senior partner of Fenton, 
Nederlander & Dodge for 25 
years, Robert L. Fenton was one 
of the earliest sports attorney 
agents and became one of the 
most prominent entertainment 
lawyers in America. He has rep-
resented such celebrity clients as 
Roger Maris, Al Kaline, Mickey 
Lolich, Rick Upchurch, Mel Farr, 
Orel Hershiser and the Frigid 
Pink, Detroit Wheels, Bob 
Welch, George Best, Marilyn 
Turner, J.P
. McCarthy and song 
composer Sammy Fain (“I’
ll Be 
Seeing You”
, “Love is a Many 
Splendored Thing”), along with 
many more well-known athletes, 
radio and television personali-
ties, authors and song compos-
ers throughout the world. 
Mr. Fenton participated in 
some of the early legal decisions 
involving athletes that ultimately 
wound up as sports law in this 
country. In the early 1970s, 
he indicated an interest, at the 
suggestion of several of his cli-
ents, in the film business and 
became an executive producer 
in Hollywood, funding such 
films as Edgar Rice Burroughs’
 
The Land That Time Forgot, which 
was distributed by Orion; The 
Incredible Melting Man; Fyre, 
which was distributed by Fries 
Entertainment Inc.; Joan Collins’
 
Homework, which was distribut-
ed by Orion; and Invasion Earth, 
They Came From Outer Space, a 
New World distribution.
In the early 1980s, he became 
deeply involved in the produc-
tion of films and was a producer 
at both 20th Century Fox and 
Universal Studios for several 
years. During his years out in 
California, he produced and dis-
tributed several successful films.
In conjunction with his film 
activities, also in the 1980s, he 
became involved in the develop-
ment of film material and fund-

ed the writing of seven books 
that were sold to New York 
mainstream publishers, such 
as Simon & Schuster, Putnam 
& Sons, William Morrow & 
Company, St. Martin’
s Press, etc. 
Eventually, a number were made 
into feature films. He was also 
a literary agent for dozens of 
authors over the years and many 
of them were best-sellers.
In October of 1988, Mr. 
Fenton produced the NBC 
Movie of the Week, Double 
Standard, which earned the 
largest market share of any TV 
film in the prior two seasons. 
His most recent film venture 
was Woman on the Ledge, also a 
two-hour Movie of the Week for 
NBC; airing on Monday, March 
15, 1993, it was the highest rated 
TV movie of the year.
Also in 1988, Mr. Fenton 
added another dimension to his 
career and wrote his first book 
with a writing partner. His first 
novel, Black Tie Only, was pub-
lished by Contemporary Books 
Inc. in April 1990 under the 
nom de plume of Julia Fenton. 
This novel was chosen as the 
main selection of both the 
Literary Guild and Doubleday 
Book Club for the fall of 1990. 
Mr. Fenton and his partner 
completed their second novel, 
Blue Orchids, and it was pub-
lished by the Putnam/Berkley 
Publishing Group in July of 
1992. In addition, a third novel, 
Royal Invitation, was also pub-
lished by the Putnam/Berkley 
Group in February 1995. After 
four years of research, Mr. 

Fenton completed his last book, 
Three Wise Men, in 2008.
He was a guest lecturer in 
an entertainment law seminar 
at University of Michigan Law 
School and conducted several 
writers’
 workshops aboard the 
Holland America Cruise Lines 
for Writer’
s Digest. 
Mr. Fenton was first elected 
to Who’
s Who in America in 
1976 and Who’
s Who in the World 
in 1980 and has been reelected 
each year thereafter. He was an 
adjunct professor at Marygrove 
College in Detroit and taught 
creative writing, not only at 
the college but at Ford Motor 
Company.
At the time of his death, he 
was the president of Fenton 
Entertainment Group Inc. in 
Farmington Hills, specializing 
in publishing, feature films, 
TV films, recording artists and 
Broadway producers.
Mr. Fenton is survived by his 
most important, loving, signif-
icant other, Dr. Karen Patricia 
Roth; daughter, Cynthia Rose 
Fenton and her fiance, Alan 
Creveling; son and daughter-
in-law, Robert L. Fenton Jr. and 
Aileen Fenton; grandchildren, 
Robert L. Fenton III, Hallie 
Marie Fenton and Olivia Paige 
Fenton. 
He was the loving brother 
of the late Edgar M. Fenton 
and the late Marilyn “Dolly” 
Rotenberg.
 Interment was at Clover Hill 
Park Cemetery. Contributions 
may be made to American 
Cancer Society, 20450 Civic 
Center Drive, Southfield, MI 
48076, cancer.org; Disabled 
American Veterans, 477 
Michigan Ave., Room 
1200, Detroit, MI 48226, dav.
org; or Friendship Circle, 6892 
W
. Maple Road, West 
Bloomfield, MI 48322, 
friendshipcircle.org/donate. 
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman 
Chapel. 

Robert Fenton

EVERETT M. 
BEHRENDT, 90, 
of Longboat Key, 
Fla., died March 9, 
2020.
He was born in 
Detroit and served as an officer 
in the United States Army. 
Mr. Behrendt practiced law in 
Detroit for more than 50 years. 
He was a lover of the arts and 
an avid golfer.
He is survived by his sons, 
Marc and Glen (Lenore) 
Behrendt; stepchild, Leslie 
(Roger) Black; beloved grand-
children, Tony (Julia) Birdwell, 
Andrew (Alison) Black and 
Daniel Black; great-grandchil-
dren, Miles Birdwell, Ethan and 
Cameron Black. 
Mr. Behrendt was the beloved 
husband of the late Rhoda 
(Englebert) and the late Shirley 
(Schneider); stepfather of the 
late Harris Schneider.
Contributions may be made 
to a charity of one’
s choice. 

MADELINE 
BRONSTEIN, 90, 
of Oak Park, died 
March 12, 2020. 
She is survived 
by her children, 
Stewart and Diana Bronstein of 
Commerce Township, Gail and 
Steve Elkus of Royal Oak, Gary 
and Beth Bronstein of Long 
Grove, Ill., Joel and Michelle 
Bronstein of Farmington Hills, 
Bob and Regina Bronstein of 
Troy; grandchildren, Justin 
and Kristina Bronstein, Jordyn 
Bronstein, Michael and Carly 
Weinstock, Sammi Elkus, Taylor 
Bronstein, Jared Bronstein, 
Travis Bronstein, Ashley 
Bronstein, Ryan Bronstein, 
Kaitlin Bronstein, Patrick 
Bronstein; great-grandchildren, 
Joshua Weinstock, Marlee 
Weinstock; many other loving 
relatives and friends.
Mrs. Bronstein was the 
beloved wife of the late Martin 
Bronstein; loving sister and 
sister-in-law of the late Harvey 
and the late Gloria Cohen, the 
late Eileen and the late Bert 
Sloane.

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