Saul Ben-Zeev

Saul Ben-Zeev, 93. Beloved husband of Sandra nee Epstein. Loving father of Jason "Yerachmiel" and Matthew Ben-Zeev. Proud grandfather of Rayna and Ari. Dear brother of the late Carol (the late Reg) Tauben and the late Dan (Gail) Ben-Zeev. Born in Jerusalem in 1926, he arrived in America at age 12, and was, just six short years later, a US Army officer in the thick of WWII. Engaged in reconnaissance missions in the Philippines, he was later part of the post-war US occupation force in Japan, pinpointing the locations of munitions factories and coordinating their deconstruction. Returning home, he gained his PhD in group dynamics at the University of Chicago, and based on his learnings, helped develop an innovative business research tool known as the "focus group." He then became the founder of two thriving marketing research companies, C&R Research and Fieldwork, Inc. Considered among the nation's foremost marketing research analysts, he was sought after for his unique business insights. As a group moderator, he used an unstructured, provocative style of questioning, similar to that of a therapist, to lead conversations to unexpected places, draw consumers into deeper self-examination, and ultimately draw insights that led to breakthroughs for his clients. These clients often ranked among America's most well-known consumer product brands. Traveling frequently for business, he became an American Airlines 10 Million Miler-which is also about the distance he'd go out of his way to help someone advance their career, life's dream, or science fair project. He loved words, and figuring out where they came from. He wore furry hats well into spring. He had one sweatshirt that said "Realist" and another one, "Idealist." He amassed a spectacular collection of hotel soaps. With his own hands, he built a loft space with a retractable staircase. He saw dozens of plays, and fell asleep in all of them. He walked around the house singing "Arrivaderci Roma," or sometimes "Volga Boatmen." He laughed hard at his own jokes. His many cousins in Israel remained dear to him all his life. Late in life he took up watercolor painting and to no one's surprise, was good at it. He personally drew up the architectural plans of his offices in 15 cities. His conversation was never vanilla, but his ice cream always was. Private graveside services were held on Tuesday. There will be a public memorial service when it is safe. Donations can be made to the ARK, www.arkchicago.org. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com