Fritz S Nussbaum

Beloved husband of Elaine Nussbaum (née Sukenik) for over 69 years; devoted father of Janet (Allan) Sussberg of Delray Beach, FL, Rita (Jeffrey) Adler of Winter Park, FL and Michael (Sue) Nussbaum of Roanoke, VA; loving grandfather of Joshua (Jennifer) Sussberg, Drew (Alexis) Sussberg, Danielle Adler, Alexandra (Michael) Toccin, Jaclyn (Brett) Sigler and Rachel Nussbaum; loving great-grandfather of Jake, Ryan and Brandon Sussberg, Mia and Violet Sussberg, Devon and Jordan Adler and Liv Toccin; dear brother of Selda Massion.

Fritz was born in the town of Kirchhain in the State of Hessen in Germany in 1921. In November 1933, after the rise of Hitler and the Nazis to power, leaving their home and possessions behind, Fritz along with his parents and sister immigrated to the US and settled in Memphis, Tennessee.

He attended the University of Cincinnati and studied metallurgical engineering. World War II interrupted his studies and Fritz enlisted in the Army in 1942 where he proceeded through officer training. He was recruited to serve as one of the elite “Ritchie Boys”, special military intelligence officers and enlisted men, who were German-speaking immigrants, often Jews, who fled Nazi persecution. They were primarily utilized for interrogation of prisoners on the front lines and counter-intelligence in Europe. Once deployed to France in 1945, he served in the Military Intelligence Service interrogating prisoners and searching for war criminals.

While in Europe, he spent his free time tracking down surviving family members in France and in Germany. After the war, he completed his degree and took a position as an Assistant Metallurgist at National Malleable and Steel Castings Company in Melrose Park, Illinois in 1948.

In 1949 he met Elaine Sukenik who was attending summer graduate school at Northwestern University. They were married on February 26, 1950. They settled in Elaine’s hometown of Cleveland, Ohio and Fritz joined Elaine’s father Abe and her brother Will as an executive with Majestic Homes Inc.

Fritz and Elaine raised their three children in Cleveland and were devoted members of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple. Fritz had a passion for stamp collecting, especially holy land postal history and was a longstanding member and leader of the Society of Israel Philatelists.

After retiring in 1981, Fritz and Elaine would spend parts of each year in Boca Raton, Florida where Fritz took up the game of golf and enjoyed the Florida lifestyle, eventually taking up fulltime residence in Boca Raton and more recently in Delray Beach, Florida. He particularly enjoyed spending his later years kvelling over his many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at Bet Olam Cemetery, 25796 Chagrin Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122 on Wednesday, May 22 at 1 PM.

The family will receive friends WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING BURIAL UNTIL 5 PM at the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Library, 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, Ohio 44122.

Contributions are suggested to the Sukenik Support Fund c/o Fairmount Temple or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org).

Funeral arrangements under the direction of BERKOWITZ-KUMIN-BOOKATZ MEMORIAL CHAPEL (800) 448-2210