Steven J. Sidewater, former president of Charming Shoppes, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, has died at 79

Steven J. Sidewater, 79, formerly of Gladwyne, onetime president and chief operating officer of Charming Shoppes Inc., entrepreneur, and longtime philanthropist, died Monday, Sept. 4, of leukemia at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Sidewater grew up in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia and worked in the family business for much of his career. He spent his teenage years sweeping floors, stacking boxes, and generally doing whatever he could to help his father, Morris, and uncle, Arthur, at their Bensalem-based Charming Shoppes.

He rose to the top of the women’s clothing company in the 1970s and ‘80s, and its Fashion Bug stores grew to more than 1,200 locations before Mr. Sidewater resigned as director and vice chairman to pursue other interests in 1989. He went on to establish Rodman Properties management company in 1992, became involved with other emerging firms, and was an early investor in Conshohocken-based David’s Bridal shops.

He was coprincipal, with his older brother Sam, of the Sidewater Group, a private investment management company, that, among other things, directed the charitable contributions of the Sidewater Family Foundation that this father created.

He also served on boards at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Abramson Senior Care, and other organizations and companies. As a philanthropist, he managed foundations and contributed often to hospitals and Jewish causes.

Mr. Sidewater was known as a creative and collaborative business executive who paid close attention to details. “He dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t’,” said his cousin and longtime business partner Herb Vederman.

He also showed a keen interest in the company’s employees and others close to his family. “He helped anyone he could,” Vederman said. “He was loving and caring.”

His wife, Judy Munroe Sidewater, said: “He helped people who didn’t even know who he was.”

Steven Jack Sidewater was born Jan. 6, 1944, in Philadelphia. He graduated from Overbrook High School and took classes at Temple University. But he was forever drawn to the challenges and rewards of the business world, and he left school to return to the family firm.

He married Gail Gertzman, and they had daughter Wendy and son Peter. After a divorce, he married Janet Cox. They divorced, and he married Munroe in 2021.

Mr. Sidewater resided in Gladwyne for much of his adult life and most recently lived in Palm Beach, Fla. He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, watching British mysteries on DVDs, and digging into pancake meals with his wife at City Diner in West Palm Beach.

He preferred comfortable shoes over expensive imports, and it took a longtime friend several conversations to convince him to trade in his old Cadillac for a new sports car. He played golf when he was young, enjoyed summers in Margate, and especially liked to nibble on chocolates from Jagielky’s Home Made Candies.

“We will never forget your great friendship and generous heart,” a friend said in an online tribute. Another friend said Mr. Sidewater was “one in a billion who was loved by everyone, the most humble, loving, caring, giving, and sophisticated man.”

His wife admired his genuine demeanor and lack of pretense. “He lived life his way,” she said. “He was comfortable in his own shoes. He knew who he was.”

Vederman said: “He was my idol.”

In addition to his wife, children, brother, cousin, and former wives, Mr. Sidewater is survived by four grandchildren and other relatives.

Services were held Thursday, Sept. 7.

Donations in his name may be made to Abramson Cancer Center, 3400 Civic Center Blvd., West Pavilion, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.