William Behrend
BEHREND: William Behrend, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, age 98, of Oakland after a brief illness. William (Bill) Behrend was born March 20, 1926, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Morris D. Behrend and Esther Cohen Behrend. He and his late brothers Daniel and Dean grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. Bill was a graduate of Columbia High School and New York University. He was a veteran of WWII, serving in the Army Air Corp. at Fort Dix, New Jersey. After the war, Bill moved to Pittsburgh to marry Celeste Silberstein and they settled in Squirrel Hill. He was a mortgage banker at Pittsburgh Mortgage Corp., a partner at Urban Development Corp. and then a real estate appraiser, developer and partner at Key Management Corp. with offices in Shadyside and on Murray Avenue, where he was also a notary public for decades serving generations with their real estate and auto title work. Bill was particularly honored to assist Holocaust survivors in receiving reparations from Germany. He was also involved in politics, running local campaigns, serving as a precinct committeeman and active with the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club. Bill was a survivor, having been run over by a motorboat in his teens and a head-on car crash and polio in his 20s. Despite these challenges, he maintained incredible, understated good humor and was never once heard to complain. At 98 he was still doing the NY Times crossword puzzle every day in ink. He was the beloved husband of the late Celeste Silberstein Behrend (1928-2009), and father of Samuel (Mary Ann O’Neil) of Tucson, Arizona, Bernhard (Stefanie Forscher Behrend) of Pittsburgh and Charles (Nancy Gondleman) Behrend of Denver, Colorado; grandfather of Margot, Vanessa, Daniel, Kacy, Georgia and Andrew; and great-grandfather of Maya, Claire, Jacob, Avery and Luka; nieces Celia Jane and Julie; nephews Douglas, Andrew (deceased) and Richard. Graveside service and interment will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 11 a.m. at West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com PJC
comments