Joel S. Rudich

1936 - 2022
Joel Rudich of Lantana, FL passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 5th, at the age of 85.

Joel was born in the Bronx on November 13, 1936, the son of Sigmund and Rose. He was the beloved husband of Phyllis (Wish) Rudich for 62 years, and the adoring father of Lauren Sheinman, Debra Smul and Karen Rudich Izo.

Joel graduated from Horace Mann in the Bronx, received his BS in Management and Industrial Engineering from New York University, his MS in Industrial Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and he completed the Executive Development Program at The Ohio State University. Joel's formative years were spent at JHS 80 in the Bronx.

Standing 6'3", Joel was a presence, but it was his big heart and personality that filled the room. He was a masterful storyteller, an encyclopedia of jokes and always quick to stump the unsuspecting with a riddle.

Joel's career touched many companies including Lillian Vernon, Time Warner Cable, American Can, Singer, and Xerox. As President of Coaxial Communications of Central Ohio, he was a pioneer of early cable television. He viewed his employees as family, keeping in touch with them and following their careers long after he retired. He was most proud of his philanthropic contributions, serving on the Board of Directors for the Nationwide Children's Hospital and Wexner Home for the Aged in Columbus, OH, United Methodist Children's Home of Decatur, GA, and as a tutor for low-income students in Palm Beach County. His Penny-A-Day Drives and Olympic Pin Christmas Tree Auction benefited the Children's Hospitals in Ohio.

A lifelong sports fan, Joel adopted the teams of Ohio, including the Indians and Buckeyes, but his heart always remained at Yankee Stadium. He loved being a part of the world's biggest stages, attending several Olympic Games and championships for the NFL, NBA and MLB. He was an accredited basketball referee for 30 years and remained a lifelong member of the New York Two Sewers, his Bronx neighborhood stickball team.

Joel had a penchant for collecting. It wasn't his intention to compile world-class collections of all things his loving wife Phyllis hated, but she allowed him to display them, as long as they were inside a room she never had to enter.

Joel had a respect for law enforcement. In later years, he volunteered at the Palm Beach County Sherriff's Department. Armed with a badge and patrol car, there was nothing he enjoyed more than writing a parking ticket for illegally parking in a handicap spot.

He was predeceased by his sister, Claire. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Rudich, his three daughters, Lauren (Steve), Debra (Peter) and Karen (Erik), his eight adored grandchildren, Danielle, Jake, Alex, Lucie, Jack, Sam, Sadie and Damek, three great grandchildren, and of course his three special girls, Max-E, Rox-E and Lulu.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Spectrum 360, 414 Eagle Rock Ave, Ste 200B Attn: Development Dept., West Orange, NJ 07052, or The Friendship Circle at FCNJ.com/Donate