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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