Philip Jay Greenberg

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Greenberg, Philip Jay We have lost our gentle patriarch. Born on May 26, 1934 in St. Paul, MN to Sam and Sally Greenberg, Phil passed away on December 13, 2020 with the love of his life by his side. Phil's family lived in Minot, North Dakota and moved to Minneapolis after his Bar Mitzvah. Phil earned undergraduate and business degrees at the University of Minnesota before enlisting in the Army where he served as a chaplain's assistant. Always honing his flair for unique business opportunities, he ran many ventures throughout his long and successful career, guided by his strong sense of ethics and realism. His ventures began with a food truck, opening a nightclub (The Golden Garter), masterminding the Dinkydale Arcade on the UofM campus, eventually working side by side with his father/mentor at their Olson's Clothing store in North Minneapolis. Olson's expanded and became the Broadway Center, where he mentored/worked with his son-in-law Tony. Phil always said the smartest thing he ever did was to marry Rivel. Married for 61 years, their partnership has been a guiding light for the family and loved ones privileged to be in their realm, shining love, strength, generosity, wisdom, understanding and acceptance. Together, they traveled all over the world, but always spent summers on Madeline Island in Wisconsin. There, Phil enjoyed warm and easy days gardening, sculpting, welding, and being with his beloved. Phil co-founded the Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve, serving as the Preserve's president for many years. He is survived by Rivel; his daughters, Andy (Alex), Marci (David) and Susie (Tony); cherished grandchildren, Jake, Max, Shai, Pazia, Ezra and Libby; brothers, Mickey (Shelley) and Harley (Ellen); brother and sister-in-law, Bruce and Ellen Mondschain; and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends all over the world. Zoom funeral service 12 noon (CST), TUESDAY Dec., 15th, Zoom Shiva 7:00 pm (CST), Tues., Wed. and Thurs. Email zoom3@hodroffepstein.com for the link. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be welcome to the Greenberg Family Fund for Holocaust Awareness at Beth El Synagogue in Minneapolis (besyn.org/donate/), The Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (jhsum.org/), and the Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve (miwp.org/). and we shall walk through all our days with love remembered and love renewed. Hodroff-Epstein 612-871-1234 hodroffepstein.com

Published on December 15, 2020