Oscar Michael Ehrenberg

Oscar Michael Ehrenberg, business and civic leader, passed away Friday, June 22, after a valiant struggle with pancreatic cancer. Mr. Ehrenberg was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930 to Rose and Marton Ehrenberg and lived in Eastern Europe until the Nazi invasion.

After the US forces liberated him following a forced march from Auschwitz Concentration camp, Mr. Ehrenberg Oscar at 16 years old arrived in the US, quickly mastering English, high school and then completing degrees in Economics and Political Science at the University of Illinois. Upon completion of his studies, speaking English, French, German, Hungarian and Czech, Mr. Ehrenberg became a citizen in 1951 and was drafted the following year where he served in the US Army as an Intelligence Officer in Austria.

He returned to Chicago and worked for his family's insurance business and he met and fell in love with Mildred "Millie" Vogel of San Antonio. Oscar visited and was smitten with San Antonio where the couple raised their two children Laura Ehrenberg Chesler and Michael Ehrenberg.

In San Antonio, he spent over forty years in the financial scene, working as a stockbroker at Russ and Company's Corporate Finance Division. He later became a named partner at Arneson Kercheville Ehrenberg and Associates and also formed a third and current company Ehrenberg/Chesler Investment Bankers, an investment advisory company, with his son-in-law, Alan Chesler.

In addition to his own success in business, one of Oscar's greatest joys was mentoring and nurturing young talent to help meet their own goals. Chesler commented that Ehrenberg had a brilliant, creative financial mind. Ehrenberg is credited with being the catalyst for establishing a Holocaust Memorial Museum, located on the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus.

His civic accomplishments are a rainbow of interest, support and leadership in a vast number of religions and civic institutions. Among other honors he received are Outstanding Citizenship Award Greater San Antonio Community of Churches; Outstanding Leadership Award United Jewish Appeal, City of Peace Award given by the state of Israel and Temple Beth-El. In addition, recognition from the US Brooke Army Medical Center, Republican Men's Club of Bexar County and the 65th 70th Air Base Group-Brooks AFB, Texas, American Jewish Committee Human Relations Award.

Mr. Ehrenberg will be greatly missed by many including his son who says his father had an uncanny gift of connecting with so many types of people, his daughter who says her father's most outstanding characteristic was his ability to be optimistic and hopeful in any circumstance. His grandson, Isaac noted that his grandfather was not only a financial genius but a true lover of people. His other grandson, Marton remembers that his grandfather never spoke off the top of his head, but waited to give the person to whom he was speaking a thoughtful response.

Pallbearers will be: Seymour Palans, Elliott Cohen, Dr. Hugh Wolff, Michael Beldon, Dr. Harvey Goldstein, Richard Goldsmith, Jim Gorman, Sam Maclin, Irving Greenblum, Jonathan Traemer and Marvin Barenblat.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish may send memorial contributions to the Oscar M. Ehrenberg Holocaust Memorial Fund c/o The Jewish Federation of San Antonio, 12500 Military Hwy, San Antonio TX 78231, or the charity of your choice.