Rudolph Eberstadt Jr.

1923 - 2018

Rudolph Eberstadt Jr.

Vero Beach, FL

Rudolph Eberstadt, 94, of New Canaan, Connecticut, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on February 1, 2018. Rudy was a loving father, a dedicated grandfather and great-grandfather, and a devoted husband for 66 years of marriage to his beloved wife, Theodora Andrews Eberstadt who pre-deceased him.

A resident of New Canaan since 1957, Rudy was born on December 8, 1923, in Orange, New Jersey to his parents, the late Rudolph Eberstadt and Alberta Virginia Webb.

Rudy graduated from Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey before attending Princeton University in New Jersey. A veteran of World War II, he was a Sergeant in the Company A 573rd Signal Air Warning Battalion where he served as a radar technician in Italy, France, Germany and Austria. He was awarded the Bronze Star GOH and Distinguished Unit Badge.

Rudy started his career at Jones & Eberstadt, in Detroit, Michigan selling production parts to the automotive industry. Soon afterward he joined the Republic Industrial Corporation, New York, a company founded by his father, where he was promoted to corporate president and Chief Executive Officer in 1962.

He built Republic Industrial into a Fortune 500 company through internal growth and a number of acquisitions in course of which many name changes occurred: Republic Industrial, Vare and finally, Microdot. From 1960 through 1976, the corporation's sales rose from $20 million to $335 million. Microdot became the target of a hostile tender and, after a bruising battle, was sold to white knight Northwest Industries of Chicago.

In 1974, Rudy became CEO of Sucrest in New York. After a successful reorganization and acquisition the company name was changed to Ingredient Technology Company (ITC). In 1985, ITC was sold to Crompton & Knowles.

Rudy retired to Boca Grande, Florida in 1990 and Vero Beach, Florida in 2002. He was an avid saltwater fisherman with a special love for Long island where he spent many happy summers with his family at their vacation home in Quogue. He and his wife, Thea, were a spirited and fun-loving couple with many close friends in Long Island, Birmingham, MI, New Canaan, CT, and Boca Grande, FL.

Rudy will be remembered as a kind, generous, intelligent man with a wonderful sense of humor. He is survived by his brother, Andrew Eberstadt of Vero Beach, FL, his two children, Page Snow, of Fairfield, CT and Rudolph Eberstadt III of Silvermine, CT, his three grandchildren, Samantha Conklin Moro of Greenwich, CT, Natasha James of Brooklyn, NY, Peter Otis Eberstadt of Grafton, MA as well as five great-grandchildren: Robbie, Henry, Jane, Anabel and Fallon. Besides his wife, he is preceded in death by his brother, Otis Webb Davey Jr., his son, Otis Webb Davey III and grandson Rudolph Eberstadt IV. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Maurice Stewart and Maureen Dixon for their outstanding support in Rudy's final days.

By Rudy's wish, there will be no formal church service, with a memorial service later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial donations be made to the Cleveland Clinic and Teach A child to Fish.