Joel Leon Roth

Joel Leon Roth, age 88, beloved father, friend, and philanthropist, passed away March 30, 2025.
Joel was born to Louis and Irene Roth in Cleveland, Ohio.
Joel earned his MBA from New York University and worked at companies including Proctor & Gamble, Ernst & Ernst (now EY), and Gulf and Western. In the early 1970s, he began buying companies in the southeast. One of those companies was Fulton Supply, which operated in Atlanta, and eventually, Stone Mountain. Joel was acutely business-minded, having authored two books on the subject of cost savings in business.
A more devoted friend to animals would be hard to find. Joel dearly loved his dog, Sasha, whom he adopted from the Atlanta Humane Society, an entity that he regularly patronized. He was a lover of creatures great and small.
Joel had an interest in making lives better in any way he could. In 2022, Joel committed $20 million to support a leadership institute designed to prepare students for increasingly complex global challenges. He partnered with the National 4-H Council to create the Roth Scholarship, which provides 25 high school students with mentorship on employability skills that business leaders seek.
Joel's legacy is his giving heart, whether it was helping two-legged or four-legged souls. His dedication to the betterment of others is a beacon of light in the midst of grief.
He touched so many lives with his own, and will be remembered with both love and reverence. May he find the rest he so tirelessly earned.
Joel is preceded in death by his wife of 25 years, Carol Roth; parents; and two brothers.
Joel will be dearly missed by his daughter, Valerie Cruz of Kunkletown, PA; long-time companion, Barbara Silvey; and many beloved extended family and friends.
Services in Montclair, New Jersey will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Joel's memory be made to an organization very dear to his heart, the Atlanta Humane Society at https://atlantahumane.org/