Ben Ginsberg

Family-Placed Death Notice

GINSBERG, Ben Ben Ginsberg, age 85, of Dunwoody, GA passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, August 14th. A graveside service will be on Tuesday, August 17th at 10am at Arlington Cemetery with Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz officiating. Ben was born in Atlanta on November 4, 1924 to Pinchas and Jennie Ginsberg. An alumni of Tech High School, he remained an active and enthusiastic member of the school's alumni association until his death. After graduating high school Ben enrolled at the University of Georgia and graduated with a degree in business. When the second World War broke out, Ben enlisted in the Army and saw combat in the Pacific Theatre as a radar operator in B-29 bombers. After the war, he returned to Atlanta and worked for a magazine publisher, and in 1958 Ben and a partner founded a vending industry trade publication called the American Automatic Merchandiser magazine, based in Chicago. Ben and his family moved to Winnetka, Illinois where they remained until the early 1980's when he retired for the first time. Discovering that retired life did not suit him because "there is only so much golf I can play," he moved back to Atlanta and started a new publication, Vending and OCS Magazine, which he published from late 1991 through December, 2009. Ben was widely recognized as a pioneer trade magazine publisher and he received numerous accolades within the vending industry including the Barbara Short Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Atlantic Coast Exposition in 2000; a Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed by the National Automatic Merchandising Association in 2001, and a Lifetime Achievement Award conferred by the National Beverage & Products Association in 2003. In 1996 the NBPA inducted him into its Hall of Fame. In 2010, Ben was recognized as the National Automatic Merchandising Association's Industry Person of the Year, along with the Southeast Vending Association's Chairman's Award. Ben was an avid sports fan and lover of baseball and football - especially the Chicago White Sox and University of Georgia Bulldogs. He possessed a quick wit, a ready smile and a commanding presence. In addition to coaching and nurturing the well-being of numerous friends, he liked to grow roses, corn and tomatoes in his office backyard garden. Ben was an avid reader, a Mozart lover and a visitor to numerous art museums. Ben is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary G. Ginsberg, son Stephen Ginsberg, and daughters Rebecca Ginsberg and Karen Ginsberg. Ben took great pride and interest in the lives of his grandchildren and he and Mary regularly traveled to visit them. "Boppa" is survived by his grandchildren, Benjamin Ginsberg and his wife Kerry of San Francisco and Jessica Ginsberg of New York, his daughter-in-law Marilyn Courtney and his chosen granddaughter, Bethany DeStefano, also of New York and his nephew, Jonathan Ginsberg of Atlanta. He was predeceased by his son, Daniel Ginsberg, of blessed memory. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the Tech High School Alumni Association Scholarship Fund or to Congregation Or Hadash. Please sign the guest book at www.edressler.com ">. Arrangements by Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care, 770.451.4999