Neustadt, Richard
1929 - 2019
Our family is sad to announce the death of Columbus native Richard E. "Dick" Neustadt on November 30, 2019 in Potomac, MD. His death was related to complications with dementia. Mr. Neustadt most recently resided in Olney, MD near Washington, DC to be near two of his children and their families. Mr. Neustadt was born January 25, 1929 to Ben Z. and Ethel (Atkin) Neustadt. The elder Mr. Neustadt founded the Ohio Jewish Chronicle (OJC) in 1922. The Chronicle was absorbed last year by the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company to become the Columbus Jewish News. After attending Bexley High School and the Columbus Academy, Richard Neustadt enrolled at The Ohio State University where he met his future wife of 58 years, Ellen Jane Rudolph of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Mr. Neustadt enlisted in the United States Air Force but was later discharged so he could return to Columbus to assume the family business, The Chronicle, after his father suffered a heart attack. He later sold the paper to Milt Pinsky. Over the years, Mr. Neustadt developed a penchant for communications, public relations, politics, promotion and entertainment. He spent several years as head of publicity for the summer theater group Kenley Players. In the mid-sixties, he opened a night club on Summit Street called The Place, featuring rock 'n' rollers such a Kenny Rogers and Bob Seger. But neighbors objected to the noise and forced The Place to close. In 1967 it reopened as Off Broadway; satirical reviews performed live to sell out crowds until fire destroyed it in 1969. Mr. Neustadt became increasingly involved in Democrat politics, working for the gubernatorial campaign of John Gilligan. When Gilligan won, Mr. Neustadt became the Deputy Director for the Department of Development where he produced events at the The Ohio State Fair, as well as The Ohio Governor's Awards and Ohio's exhibit at the Festival of American Folk Life in Washington, DC. When Gilligan left office, Mr. Neustadt moved to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio before starting his own public relations and advertising firm. Mr. Neustadt focused in part on running Democratic political campaigns, including those of Councilman Ben Espy and Congressman Bob Shamansky. He was a close confidant and manager to various talent including singer Dave McCoy, newsmen Leon Bibb, Bob Grossi among others. During this time, he met Jim Lorimer, a partner of a young, dynamic body builder, by the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger. This began what was to become a Columbus institution, The Arnold Classic and Fitness Expo held every February. Mr. Neustadt worked closely with Lorimer and Schwarzenegger to help build a world-famous event and to produce the telecast for NBC, ESPN and others. Neustadt, the Democrat, and Schwarzenegger, the future Republican Governor of California, liked to argue politics, but always with great mutual respect. In addition to his public service, Mr. Neustadt was active in the community having served as a board member at the Columbus Jewish Center, Temple Israel, Goodwill and served as a volunteer at the Columbus Jewish Historical Society. Richard E. Neustadt is preceded in death by his beloved wife Ellen Jane, by daughter Dr. Betsy Rosenwasser, and brother James L. Neustadt. He is survived by brother, Charles Neustadt (Sally Abel Neustadt) of Baltimore, MD; children, James (Marla) of Bethesda, MD, Carol Neustadt (Barry Cohen) of Potomac, MD, and Robert (Lois) of Chicago. Dick was a dedicated grandfather to Josh and Jake Cohen, Brett Neustadt, Claire and Max Rosenwasser, and Leah, Sam, and Rudy Neustadt. A funeral service will be held at 11:30 on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at SCHOEDINGER NORTHEAST, 1051 E Johnstown Rd, Gahanna with internment to follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery. The family asks that any donations in his memory be sent to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society, https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate, the Alzheimer's Foundation, www.alz.org, the Ben & Ethel Neustadt Journalism Intern Marketing Endowment of the Columbus Jewish Foundation at the Ohio State University or a charity of your choice. To leave condolences or share a memory visit www.schoedinger.com.

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Published by The Columbus Dispatch from Dec. 2 to Dec. 3, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Richard Neustadt

Sponsored by The Columbus Dispatch.

6 Entries

Adlai (Nancy) Neubauer

December 6, 2019

My sympathies to the Neustadt, Cohen and Rossenwasser families on the passing of their father and grandfather, Dick Neustadt. I first became good friends with his daughter Betsy starting in the late 1960s because alphabetically she sat behind me in many classes at Eastmoor Junior.

I spent a lot of time at the Neustadt home during mine and Betsy's middle and high school years. He and Ellen were always kind and warm to me when I visited their home on N. Virginia Lee.
I always felt Dick and Ellen were the cool, younger American parents compared to my older, immigrant parents.

More recently, I visited with Dick when he was my across-the-street neighbor on Parkview Boulevard in Columbus.
I hope that Dick's children and grandchildren find comfort in their many memories of him.

Jack Burgess

December 5, 2019

I was a partner with Dick, in 1986, in his advertising agency in German Village. Dick led our team, which also included Jerry Austin & a young attorney, Michael Coleman, aide to an aspiring public servant, Ben Espy. Together we took on the task of electing Espy, Portman, & Mentel to Columbus City Council. We succeeded. Dick had many, many successes with candidates and other promotions. It was fun working with him. He had helped me earlier, in the '70's, when I served as executive director of the Columbus Education Association. Together we brought various discounts to Columbus teachers. He started the Third Friday Democratic Luncheon. We met at the Top of the Center, downtown. They still meet, now at Confluence, which is where I saw him last. I still miss his smile and his eternal optimism. Goodbye old pal.

Mike Lorz

December 4, 2019

One of the earliest Builders of the Arnold, Richard E. (Dick) Neustadt, died last Saturday in Potomac, MD.
I refer to Dick Neustadt as one of the earliest Builders of the Arnold. In fact, he began building the Arnold Classic and the Arnold Sports Festival before they existed.
Dick didn't start promoting sports and fitness quite as early as Arnold's longtime local partner Jim Lorimer did. In 1959, Jim Lorimer took an interest in track competition, and started the Ohio Track Club Women's Team, and then the World Weightlifting and Mr. World Competitions in the 1970s, attracting a young Arnold Schwarzenegger to Columbus the first times.
Arnold Schwarzenegger always had an eye for excellence, telling Lorimer that the weightlifting and Mr. World competitions he'd organized were the best events he'd ever competed in, and vowing to come back here to team with Lorimer to create more bodybuilding contests.
Arnold went on to win the Mr. Olympia, six times from 1970 to 1975. Then he took a few years off to make the Conan the Terminator movies.
The Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest continued, in Columbus, from 1976 through 1979, and Dick Neustadt was engaged on behalf of competitor, Frank Zane. Of all competitors those years, Frank Zane dominated local medianewspapers, tv, radioall of it, guided skillfully and enthusiastically by Dick.
Arnold, with his eye for excellence, noticed. He later phoned Jim Lorimer, and they reached their historic handshake agreement, the basis for the Arnold Sports Festival.
Jim recalls Arnold asked him to find the guy who handled Frank Zane's publicity. Dick's stellar performance for Frank Zane had caught the eye of Arnold and Jim, world leaders in the developing field of sports and fitness.
I was working with Dick then, right after I started Lorz Communications, when Jim Lorimer called, which began a long, great relationship.
The next decades saw the launch of the Arnold Classic, a sports EXPO with 100 exhibit booths (now more than 1,000), women's competitive events, martial arts, gymnastics, fencing, now more than 80 sports and events with 22,000 athletes from 80 nations, the largest multisport event in the world, on six continents, surpassing the International Olympics
To the lasting benefit of the City of Columbus, and the world of sports and fitness, Dick Neustadt truly was one of the earliest Builders of the Arnold. He was instrumental during those early, foundation-building years for the Arnold, which now brings some $53 million into the Columbus economy every year.
It was my blessing to have known and worked closely with Dick Neustadt.

Mike Lorz

Yvonne Burry

December 3, 2019

Fond memories of working with Dick on a couple of communications-oriented projects over the years. He was always such a great guy. He knew his stuff and had a way of making sure that everything was on track to take good care of the clients. He had such a great smile. He loved his family so much. So sorry to see him gone.

December 3, 2019

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dick Neustadt. He was a kind and gentle man who filled the lives of many people, including me with hope and inspiration. I am disappointed that I will not be able to attend the funeral service for Dick tomorrow as my family and I now live in eastern Tennessee. However, I will make a donation in Dick's name to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society. To Dick's family please know that "Death is a heartache that no one can heal, but love is a memory no one can steal." I wish you all peace and love. With my deepest sympathy, Bob Grossi

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