Saul NOVICK

Saul Novick, 90, beloved husband, father, stepfather, brother, uncle, and grandfather, passed away on June 28, in Spokane, Washington, after a brief illness. Saul was born in Paterson, New Jersey and remained proud of his hometown throughout his life. A graduate of Eastside High and Rutgers University, Saul became a businessman and entrepreneur involved in real estate, building homes during the post-war boom of the '50s, and then entering the garment industry in the early 1960s. Saul founded and ran Gino Paoli Inc., a clothing company headquartered in Milan (he spoke fluent Italian) and New York that led the industry with high-end Italian knitwear in bright colors and bold designs. He traveled the Americas, Europe, and Asia, serving the needs of his business. In the '70s, Saul took on show business. He produced theater in New York City and ran summer stock at regional playhouses. Leading national road tours, Saul traveled the country and could tell you the seating capacity of theaters in every major town in the United States. For the later part of his career, he was in the restaurant industry, opening several restaurants and working in consulting and restaurant supplies.

Saul was charismatic and people noticed when he entered a room. He was an extraordinary raconteur and is remembered by many for his stories set in exotic locations or involving people of renown. He also told tales of his rugged youth in working-class Paterson. As a child, he was an amateur boxer, and he always had a certain pugnacious quality blended with his man-of-the-people persona. While an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers of his youth (Bobby Thomson's home run broke his heart!), he was still able to admire the New York Yankee, Yogi Berra, for his inimitably humorous aphorisms. Yogi's "When you come to the fork in the road, take it" defined his belief in taking action to address life's challenges.

Saul leaves behind Gail, his beloved spouse and partner of forty-nine years; three children, Leslie, Thomas, and Joshua; two stepchildren, Chris and Andrew; two grandchildren, Sarah and Amanda; and his beloved sister, Helene. He will be deeply missed.