Alan B. Friedberg

FRIEDBERG – Alan Bernard, 87, passed away on May 13, 2021 in New York City. He is survived by his wife, Lorraine, married for 66 years, his son Bruce and daughter-in-law Nancy, his son Rob and daughter-in-law Debbie, and son Mark and daughter-in-law Shannon, and six grandchildren Corey (and spouse Jen), Michael (and spouse Alex), Chad, Jared, Grace and Ryan. Born in the Bronx, NY in 1933 during the great depression to Ethel and Murray he attended DeWitt Clinton high school. As a teenager, he developed a love of basketball at a time when basketball in NY City was on the rise and made the All-City team where he played at the Old Madison Square Garden.

He was a NY City real estate pioneer and builder, who after earning a business degree from New York University in the 1950s co-founded Charles H. Greenthal Company, a renowned NY City residential management and leasing company that still exists today. He learned real estate when there were no calculators, computers, or cellphones. Alan became an expert at real estate finance. He did deals with handshakes and forged great relationships with banks.

His career spanned many aspects, decades and economic cycles of real estate in NYC and the tri-state area - property management, brokerage and financing of large institutional mortgages, conversions of residential apartments to condos and co-ops, residential development and construction and hotel operations. When real estate ventures weren’t occupying his attention, he generously gave his time to many civic and non-profit organizations: board member of the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority; board member of the NY City Economic Development Corporation; Trustee and Founder of the Council on Transportation at New York University Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management; Chairman and Board Member, Traffic Safety of NY City; Special Advisor to the Commissioner of the NY City Department of Transportation; Board Member of the Educational Alliance (an agency of UJA-Federation); Board Member of the Associated Builders and Owners of Greater NY; and Principal for a Day with the PENCIL organization.

His sense of humor, good nature, devotion to family, and willingness to help others will always be remembered.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Educational Alliance, 197 East Broadway, New York, NY or https://edalliance.org/donate/