Lester Rosenfeld, 89, Pep Boys executive

Lester Rosenfeld, 89, of Blue Bell, the son of a Pep Boys cofounder and an avid Philadelphia philanthropist, died Thursday, June 18, of lung cancer at home.

Mr. Rosenfeld worked his way up in the automotive business from storing used auto parts in the back room to eventually following his father, Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, into the East Falls corporate office.

His father was one of the famed Pep Boys - Manny, Moe, and Jack - who in 1921 founded the auto supply and repair business in Philadelphia.

Born on April 22, 1926, in Camden, Mr. Rosenfeld proudly shared his family legacy throughout his life. He attended Friends Select School and graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1944 before enlisting in the Navy for two years.

During World War II, he proclaimed himself "roving ambassador for the ship." He told everyone he encountered about his father and the rest of the Pep Boys, according to a tribute by his family. Mr. Rosenfeld said his years in the Navy were some of the most wonderful of his life, his son Stuart said.

Mr. Rosenfeld attended Temple University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business in 1949, the same year he met his wife, Helene.

As the family story goes, the pair met at a dance when Mrs. Rosenfeld was dancing with a friend. Mr. Rosenfeld turned to the friend and told him, "Please tell me when you're not dating, because I want to date her."

In December 1949, exactly one year after their first date, the couple wed.

After Temple, he began a lifelong career at his father's company. His father died suddenly in 1959, when Mr. Rosenfeld was 33. Mr. Rosenfeld continued to speak of him as an inspiration, describing him as loving and brilliant, according to his family.

By the 1960s, Mr. Rosenfeld held a vice presidential role and led the company into creating service departments in East Coast stores and selling tires. Pep Boys credits this decision as "one that would define the future of the company," according to the tribute by his family.

He served as corporate secretary and on the board of directors before retiring in 2004 as a director emeritus. Mr. Rosenfeld had said his greatest legacy with Pep Boys was his son's succession into the business, according to the tribute. Stuart Rosenfeld now serves as the vice president of distribution.

After he retired, Mr. Rosenfeld did anything but keep still, his family said. He was a passionate philanthropist and an accomplished fly fisherman, "well before it was in vogue," his son Robert said. He also raised orchids, collected wine, and had a knack for photography.

A good experience with Abington Memorial Hospital encouraged him to get involved as a donor, his sons said. He also served on the board of Franklin and Marshall College, in Lancaster; Delaware Valley University, in Doylestown; and Congregation Beth Or, in Maple Glen.

In addition to his two sons and wife of 65 years, Mr. Rosenfeld is survived by a daughter, Ellyn; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, June 22, at Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Rd., Maple Glen. Burial is to follow at Roosevelt Memorial Park, Philadelphia.

Donations in his memory can be sent to USA Cares, 562 N. Dixie Blvd., Suite 3, Radcliff, Ky. 40160; or the Rosenfeld Cancer Center at Abington Memorial Hospital, 1200 York Rd., Abington 19001.

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