NEW YORK — Julius H. Gewirtz, founder and chairman of retail chain Joyce Leslie, died of bone cancer Saturday at his Manhattan home. He was 83.
Gewirtz was born on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and married his childhood sweetheart, Hermine. With a $5,000 gift from his mother, Gewirtz and his wife opened the first Joyce Leslie store in 1945 on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn. Named for his daughter, the chain initially carried women’s dresses. It evolved into a regional chain featuring trendy apparel for teens at moderate prices.
Joyce Leslie, based in Moonachie, N.J., now has 46 locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The Gewirtzes’ daughters, Nancy Shapiro and Joyce Segal, run the business, along with their mother, who still reviews every check.
“He was a true gentleman and was well liked by everyone,” Shapiro said. “He valued relationships with his customers tremendously and was always interested in giving them the best merchandise at the best prices.”
Gewirtz was active in numerous charitable and philanthropic organizations, including his temple, Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, as well as B’nai B’rith and Boys Town Jerusalem, his wife said.
In addition to his wife and daughters, Gewirtz is survived by two grandsons, David Shaw and Andrew Shapiro, and a great-granddaughter, Talia Shaw.
A memorial service is planned for next month.