Joseph Auslander

Joseph Auslander, age 95, passed away on August 7 in West Palm Beach, FL, just five weeks after the passing of his beloved wife of 70 years, Dorothy Auslander. He is survived by his three children, Elaine (Leon) Pollack, Roberta (Warren) Schneider, and Charles Auslander (Zara Gerber); his five grandchildren, Melissa (Matthew) Goldstein, Jessica (Brian) Brendell, Blythe (Adam) Jeckel, Abigail (Joshua) Klein and Zachary Auslander; his six great grandchildren, Jacob and Lily Goldstein, Julia and Emma Brendell and Reuben and Elizabeth Klein; his brother-in-law, Robert (Florence) Melamed; and many nieces and nephews. All loved him deeply and will miss him terribly.

Joseph was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the eleventh of twelve children of Samuel and Katy (Boltuch) Auslander. He was preceded in death by his parents, his nine brothers and two sisters and their spouses.

Joseph earned an accounting degree from Jersey City State College. As a young man, he went to work for the Edward B. Marks Music Corporation, where he successfully rose from bookkeeper to CEO and Chairman of the Board, retiring before the age of 60. He was respected throughout the music industry for his honesty, fairness, and business acumen. He traveled globally to build a portfolio of music copyrights, including the classic love song “More.”

Joseph met Dorothy on a blind date. From that moment, his heart belonged to her. They married on his 25th birthday. Their 70-year marriage was filled with shared joys and enduring happiness. As a young couple, they moved to Plainview, NY, one of the suburbs that sprang up on Long Island after World War II. There they made a happy home to raise their three children. Joe put his green thumb and DIY skills to work creating pretty gardens, finishing the basement and building a bedroom extension. The family later moved to Englewood Cliffs, NJ, easing his commute to Manhattan. After he retired, the couple bought a beachfront condo in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL. They continued to travel and enjoyed taking cruises. In recent years they relocated to West Palm Beach, FL.

Nothing made Joe happier than time spent with family. Joe and Dorothy’s early homes became the hub of family gatherings. When they were not entertaining, they were taking their children to visit grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. As the years went by, Joe took special joy in the birth and growth of his grandchildren and then the birth of a new generation of great grandchildren. He often would say that that was what it was all about.

Joe was a great story teller, regaling us with stories of growing up above the family grocery store during the Great Depression in a large family where everybody contributed to the household and his adored mother instilled strong values and kept the family going after his father’s death. In retirement he learned to use a computer and the Internet. He loved nothing better than receiving emails with photos of his great grandchildren or Skyping with them.

Joseph will live on in our hearts because he was a devoted family man and a wonderful provider, who left us with a legacy of love, strength, and values. Our parents will be remembered together with love. A small graveside funeral was held on August 12 with remote video for those close family members who were unable to attend. We look forward to a time when we all can be together to celebrate Joseph’s life.