Larry Kripke

1943 - 2024

News story
By Mark Zaborney
Blade Staff Writer

Larry Kripke, founder of a metal recycling business, as his father had been decades earlier, and a leader in the Toledo-area Jewish community, died Tuesday at home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. He was 80.

He had Parkinson's disease, but his health declined after acquiring coronavirus several months ago, his son Matt Kripke said. The elder Mr. Kripke and his wife, Joanie, formerly divided their time between homes in Sylvania Township and Palm Beach Gardens, but remained full time in Florida since the pandemic in 2020.

He hadn't retired from Kripke Enterprises, which he founded in 1993, and retained a role with the firm, which focuses on nonferrous metals, said his son, now the chief executive and owner.

Mr. Kripke had developed a focus on nonferrous metals – mainly aluminum and copper – in working for the business his father founded, Sherwin Metals, and its successors. At age 49, he decided to strike out on his own and established Kripke Enterprises, first on Hill Avenue and then on Central Avenue in Sylvania Township.

He didn't aim for growth, but "he started the train of doing things right and taking care of people well, and it led to our growth," his son said. The firm takes in metal – 98 percent by volume is aluminum – while serving as a broker and producing aluminum coil for the building and construction market.

Condolence messages from friends and associates have shared a theme: "He was the nicest guy," the younger Mr. Kripke said.

"He went out of his way to ask them about them," his son said. "It was like getting a shot of positivity whenever you were with him. He made the room more positive when he was in it."

Mr. Kripke learned the importance of customer relationships from his father and passed that forward. He asked about a customer's family - and made sure to ask how the customer's child fared in the tennis match they'd talked about in their previous meeting.

"One of our core values is relationships are the backbone of our business," son Matt said. "You have to be friends - and be real friends, not business friends."

His son Eric Kripke, a television writer and producer, said: "The thing that impressed me the most was the way he treated the people who worked for him. He showed them genuine concern and care, and never pulled rank, and treated them like family."

He credits his success to what he learned from his dad.

"Going out to Hollywood and being a writer, I can't tell you what an advantage it was to be raised by a father who understood truly how to manage and get the best out of people," son Eric said. "I'm a showrunner. People like to work with me. I don't yell. I work with them and try to raise them up."

Jerry Phillips, a friend of Mr. Kripke's since they were students at Old Orchard School, said that the concern he showed his employees meant "they wanted to pull for the company. That's the kind of leadership he had."

His leadership made a difference beyond the company as well.

"He was very community oriented - anything for Toledo, especially the Jewish community," said Mr. Phillips, who is a lawyer. "He was very philanthropic."

A member of Congregation B'nai Israel, Mr. Kripke had been a trustee and served as cochairman of the fund-raising campaign to build a new synagogue. The congregation moved in 2007 from its longtime Kenwood Boulevard home to Sylvania Township.

In the 1980s, he'd been board chairman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo, served as chairman of the federation's United Jewish Fund campaign, and was a member of the Jewish Community Center board of governors. He and his wife, Joanie, in 1990 helped lead Toledo-area efforts to resettle Jews who'd emigrated after the Berlin Wall fell.

Mr. and Mrs. Kripke also made sure their grandchildren at Bar Mitzvah age visited Israel, a commitment his parents had made to his children.

"He would always put us first," son Eric said. "He would say there are only three important things in our lives and it's family, family, and family."

He was born Oct. 20, 1943, to Naomi and Sherwin and grew up in West Toledo's Old Orchard neighborhood. He was a graduate of DeVilbiss High School. As he was about to graduate from business school at the University of Michigan, he was interviewed for a role in the family business by his older brother, Harley, who'd been with the company for several years.

"They had a trust for each other," son Matt said, who recalled Friday night dinners with extended family. "You never saw my grandfather and the brothers discussing business at those family dinners. They made sure family came first."

Mr. Kripke, a dedicated golfer, was a member of the former Glengarry Country Club and then Stone Oak Country Club. He held U-M football season tickets for more than a half century. Though his health was flagging, he watched the broadcast of his team's victory Jan. 8 in the national championship game - which a delegation of his children and grandchildren attended.

"He was very, very excited," son Matt said. "I don't know if he was excited that Michigan won or for his kids and grandkids, who are all superfans."

Surviving are his wife, the former Joanie Levy, whom he married Dec. 26, 1965; sons Matt Kripke and Eric Kripke; daughter, Dana Kripke Friedman; brothers Harley Kripke and Bobby Kripke, and eight grandchildren.

Funeral services will begin at noon Sunday at Congregation B'nai Israel, Sylvania Township. Arrangements are by Robert H. Wick/Wisniewski Funeral Home.

The family suggests tributes to the Sherwin and Naomi Kripke Israel Program Fund via cbitoledo.org/contributions/online-contributions.