Joseph Grossman, 87, of Colt's Neck, NJ, passed away on Monday, Nov. 9 after a long battle with complications of end-stage renal disease. He died peacefully in his sleep at Riverview Hospital. His daughter, Dr. Heather Grossman, was at his side.

Joseph, a polyglot, beloved family man, and entrepreneur, was born on March 12, 1933 in the town of Stepan in the Ukraine. He came to this country as a displaced person and survivor of the holocaust, learning English at Red Bank High School and later graduating from George Washington University in Washington D.C.

Joseph spoke 7 languages. Grateful for and proud of his new American citizenship, he chose to serve his country after college. He first enlisted in the Army, where he worked as an interpreter. After the Army, he worked for the Eisenhower administration and served with Vice President Nixon, who he accompanied as an interpreter to the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow.

Joseph next moved to Monmouth County and went into business, initially purchasing a bar in Asbury Park, NJ and a hotel in the same town. Joseph ultimately developed sports facilities, many indoor tennis clubs including The Colts Neck Tennis Club, outdoor malls, and office buildings in and around Monmouth County, NJ, and Bucks County, PA. It was in Monmouth County where he met the love of his life, Marsha Lynn Ward, his wife of 48 years, who preceded him in death in 2008.

Joseph is survived by his sons Yonah, of New York City; Seth and his wife, Margo, of Wayland, MA; and his daughter Heather Grossman and her husband, Steven Candela, of Colts Neck NJ, who are grief-stricken by their loss. He is also survived by four adoring grandchildren that he cherished: Zachary, Rebecca, and Joshua Grossman, as well as Marsha “Lexi” Candela. In the last decade, he found companionship with Dr. Edith Frankel.

Joseph’s diverse and remarkable life cannot be fully captured in a short piece of writing Anyone who knew him recognized he was the most devoted and loving father and husband a family could ask for. Full of optimism, Joseph served as a mentor, father figure, and source of counsel and wisdom to countless many who will mourn him.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that his life be celebrated and remembered via donations to the K. Hovanian Children’s Hospital PACT fund at https://give.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/KHCH or the USC Shoah Foundation via https://sfi.usc.edu