Theodore 'Ted' Brodlieb dies at 94

Calling his early family life “dislocated” Theodore 'Ted' Brodlieb make sure that when he and his wife Shirley had their children, family life would be nothing like his childhood.

“I saw him ten days before he died and I had my daughter with me, said Marc Brodlieb, one of Ted’s three children. “He was asked what the secret to longevity is and he said it was having a ‘strong family and a sense of humor’.”

Brodlieb, an East Rockaway native who died on Dec. 22 in Delray Beach, Fla., at 94, will not only be remembered for placing family first and telling jokes to break the ice in social and business gatherings, but for the way he was a mentor to his sons and his grandson, Oliver Brodlieb.

“He meant everything to me,” said Oliver, who followed his father, uncle and grandfather into the car business. “He was not only my grandfather, but a role model, a mentor. He was the reason I followed in his footsteps. He is a very important part of who I am.”

Despite growing up on the streets of Brooklyn, a “semi-orphan,” according to Marc, Brodlieb remained upbeat throughout his life. “His optimism, he always looked at the positive and never gave up on anything,” said Marc, when asked what he would remember most about his father. “He didn’t give up, even at the end and that’s what got him through.”

A car dealer for more than 50 years, Brodlieb operated Marathon Motors before he opened several dealerships, which included Brodlieb Motors in Woodmere, Idle Wild Motors in Springfield Gardens, Queens and Ted’s Auto Sales in Far Rockaway.

He was a founding member of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre in Hewlett and is listed as having attended a meeting on Dec. 21, 1949, when the temple was founded.

“Anybody who is among the pioneers in any situation, whether in business is always interesting,” said Phyllis Gilbert-Nadler, a 60-year member of the Jewish Centre. “He was a very nice gentleman, who was well-liked and was willing to give of himself to create the synagogue, which in itself is special says something about the person.”

Another longtime Jewish Centre member, retired dentist Dr. Herbert F. Fisher remembered Brodlieb as a handsome man, who was light on his feet. “He was a very good looking fellow, very good personably and a very good dancer,” he said.

Besides his success and stressing his importance of family, Brodlieb helped Marc and his other son Ken establish their own car dealerships, which includes East Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge (formerly East Hills Chrysler Plymouth), East Hills Chevrolet Oldsmobile, Huntington Dodge and Town & Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge and North Honda Saab.

“He was incredibly gracious and very magnanimous letting us buy him out,” said Marc, who noted that there a “horror stories” regarding fathers and sons in business together.

Brodlieb also advocated for improving the car dealer’s image, increased education and customer satisfaction. He served as president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association 1987-88, as chair of the AutoCAP Committee for more than 12 years and was an ADA director for 26 years.

A recipient of Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award in 1988 and the prestigious Northwood University Dealer Education Award in ’97, Brodlieb helped establish an Automotive Management Certification Program offered under the auspices of the ADA and Hofstra University. Along with that, he endowed and created the Brodlieb Distinguished Professorship in Business at Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business.

But for all those accomplishments it will probably be the impact he made on his grandson that will be remembered most. “He made my decision to go into this business an easy one,” Oliver said. “He was truly a remarkable man.”

He is also survived by Shirley, daughter Barbara, daughter-in-law Andrea and grandchildren Tim, Kim, Oliver, Andrew, Samantha, and great-grandchildren Teddy, Baker and Sayers.