ERWIN STALLER

STALLER--Erwin P. (1921-2019) Erwin P. Staller, a Long Island real estate developer and philanthropist, died on February 11, 2019 at his home in Lloyd Harbor, NY. He was 97. Starting in the late 1950's, Erwin P. Staller, along with his father, Max Staller, was among the first entrepreneurs to develop retail shopping centers on Long Island. These early centers were anchored by a supermarket, drug store, and a U.S. Post Office. Over the next 30 years, the company prospered and the two men developed numerous shopping centers as well as office buildings and industrial buildings across Long Island and Connecticut. After the death of Max Staller in 1987, the Staller family decided to honor Erwin's parents by donating the first million-dollar gift to Stony Brook University, establishing The Staller Center for the Arts in memory of Max and Mary Staller. Erwin P. Staller received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at the Stony Brook University Commencement in 2001. He served on the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees for over 30 years. Raised in Hempstead, Long Island, Erwin graduated from Hempstead High School. He attended Allegheny College before enlisting in the U.S. Army, where he served in the Signal Corps during World War II. After the war, he returned to Long Island, and in 1946 married Pearl "Freddie" Friedman whom he had dated in high school. They remained married for almost 73 years and had five children. Erwin is survived by his wife, four children and their spouses, and nine grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at The Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook University on April 27th at 1:00pm.