Stanley Herzstein could have dwelled on his hardscrabble childhood, the early death of his mother, his rootless teen years. Instead, the San Francisco Jewish community leader looked forward, not backward, building a life centered on family, good citizenship and good deeds.
Herzstein died at on April 24 at his residence in the Jewish Home of San Francisco. He was 91.
A longtime board member of the S.F.-based Koret Foundation, Herzstein made his mark serving on that and numerous other boards. They included the boards of the Jewish Home of San Francisco, the Market Street Development Association, the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center and the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. He also served as president of the San Francisco Commission on Aging.
“People remember him as a really engaged San Franciscan,” said his son, Stan Herzstein. “When he got involved with an organization, he didn’t just kick up his feet. He wanted action.”
This quintessential San Franciscan was born in 1921 in San Antonio, Texas. Herzstein lost his mother when he was 8, and with a father who traveled far and wide to find work during the Depression, he was raised by his older siblings. But the fractured family clung to a measure of their Jewish roots. As a young teen, Herzstein was confirmed at his local San Antonio synagogue.
As a young teen, he moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia to live with an aunt and uncle. Before long, Herzstein crossed the country again, this time to San Francisco, where other relatives took him in. He finished his schooling at the city’s High School of Commerce.
After serving with the Coast Guard during World War II, Herzstein landed a job with a small Mission Street ready-to-wear apparel firm run by Joseph Koret. He served as stockboy and, later, as driver for Koret. Those simple beginnings led to a deep friendship between the two, both of whom went on to make their fortunes in the post-war boom times.
“For 30 years my dad was a [Koret] salesman,” Stan Herzstein said. “He became sales manager, then president of the men’s division [Koracorp]. Joe was a father figure to my dad. He really respected him. Joe was tough, but fair and honest. He had high expectations for my dad, and probably pushed him.”
When work was done, Herzstein turned to the comforts of home and family. The family, which lived in Hillsborough for many years, belonged to Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City.
Herzstein and wife, Marion, had two sons, Robert and Stan, and enjoyed life to the fullest. Food and travel were among Herzstein’s passions. He learned French at age 49 so he and his wife could travel to France annually for a grand gourmet tour.
Koret served as a role model in more ways than one. When he started buying San Francisco commercial real estate — investments that made him enormously wealthy — Herzstein followed suit. Koret placed Herzstein on the board of his philanthropic arm, the Koret Foundation, a position he continued to hold long after Koret died in 1982.
“After Joe died, my father wanted to make sure [the Koret Foundation] continued Joe’s vision and passion,” said Stan Herzstein. “He was on the board until two or three years ago.”
The self-educated Herzstein had many interests — from linguistics to population sciences — and counted among his friends such figures as Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa and demographer Paul Ehrlich. Though not religious, he loved Jewish culture, community and Israel, a nation he visited often.
Herzstein’s wife died in 2008, a terrible blow for him, but by then he had the joy of two successful sons and four grandchildren, as well as a life of accomplishment.
“He always had a smile and positive attitude,” Stan Herzstein said. “He always looked forward, never back. There weren’t problems; just challenges to be creative about.”
Stanley Herzstein is survived by sons Robert Herzstein of Berkeley and Stan Herzstein of San Francisco, and four grandchildren. A memorial will take place at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 6 at Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. Donations may be made to the Jewish Home of San Francisco or Jewish Family and Children’s Services.