NORMAN ARTHUR RUBIN

Norman Arthur Rubin, passed away suddenly May 7, 2010, at his home in Santa Monica, CA. Norman was born September 6, 1929, at Garfield Park Hospital to Samuel and Anna Rubin. Norman was raised in Naperville, where he lived above the general store owned by his parents. As a child, Norman would travel with his father to Maxwell Street and the Merchandise Mart to buy and barter for supplies for their dry goods business. He graduated with honors from the UCLA School of Business in 1951, and earned his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1954. He served in the U.S. Army at Ford Ord and in Linz, Austria; Heidelberg, Germany; and Paris, France. Norman worked his entire life until 80 years of age last week. His long career in real estate started at MCA Inc. (Universal City, CA), where as vice president for real estate, he developed the Sheraton Universal Hotel and acquired and zoned land for the studio, including essential access points on the Hollywood Freeway. Norman later struck out on his own to develop and manage retail commercial properties in California, Illinois, Minnesota, and Nevada. Starting in Los Angeles in 1973, he pioneered the commercial use of CalTrans airspace with the development of self storage facilities under the freeway system. His Venice Blvd. facility was crushed as a result of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Norman consulted to the Service Employees International Union for many years. In 1988, he brought his favorite Chicago-style hot dog west with the opening of RUBIN's Red Hot in Sherman Oaks, CA, and incorporated iron sections of Chicago's elevated train in the architecture. In Naperville, Norman developed commercial retail properties that brought major national tenants to this former farm town where his parents set their roots. This is where Norman and his family contributed to making Naperville's main-street downtown into a thriving commercial area. He and his family were instrumental in building Naperville's first Jewish synagogue from the ground up. In Santa Monica, Norman lived above his office and commercial spaces on Montana Avenue. Some of Norman's developments were in partnership with siblings Alfred Rubin (Naperville), Lucille Cooper Gutman (Chicago), and Gish Levy (LA), who predeceased him. Other projects with his son Samuel Rubin (Pacific Palisades, CA), his daughters Mindy Rubin (Pacific Palisades, CA) and Ann Rubin (San Francisco), and his former wife Suzanne Rubin (LA). The family raised their children in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles. Norman enjoyed high-rise living in Chicago for part of the year, and traveled to Naperville once a month on average for more than 30 years. In addition to these loving family members, Norman leaves behind his dear friend Fran Fineman (LA) and daughter-in-law Allegra Mancuso Rubin. He was an adoring grandfather to Maxwell and Sofia and devoted uncle and great uncle to many. Norman was a true family man and talented entrepreneur. He was generous, honest, and loyal. He will be deeply missed and remembered by associates, friends, and family members. In memoriam, donations may be made to Little Friends in Naperville, the Anti-Defamation League, or American Heart Association.