Julius Rosenwald Was Veteran, Outdoorsman

Julius Rosenwald 2nd, better known as Dooley and Grandooley, died at home in Philadelphia Nov. 2 following a long illness. He was 89 years old.

Born in Chicago, Dooley worked for Sears, Roebuck in that city and later in Boston. In 1938, he married Julia Kaufmann of Philadelphia. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, he enlisted in the Marines, went through boot camp and then attended Officer Candidates School where he studied aviation ordnance. He was graduated as a captain and was discharged as a major when the war ended. The Rosenwalds made Philadelphia their home.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Dooley and his brother in law, Isadore Scott, owned Winner Manufacturing Company in Trenton, N.J., producing prefabricated houses and - revolutionary at that time - fiberglass boats. He was a director of Sears for many years and was asked to remain for two years beyond the traditional retirement age of 70.

The Rosenwalds first visited the Vineyard in the late 1930s, returning often and finally building their house in Chilmark in 1963. Here, Dooley could be seen chopping wood and clearing brush, a favorite pastime. He was happiest outdoors and was an environmentalist before the word itself was popular.

A longtime skier, Dooley was also an avid tennis player and enjoyed the game into his 80s. He was an accomplished and talented amateur photographer as well as a devoted birder. Indeed, he is legendary on the Vineyard for his sighting of the red-billed tropic bird never before seen in this part of the world. Birders came from all over to see this rare find. He is legendary, too, for making a handkerchief "mouse" which jumped out of his hands and delighted three generations of children and adults.

Carrying on the proud tradition of his family, Dooley devoted his life to civic and philanthropic causes. He was a trustee of Lincoln University from 1950 to 1990 and received an honorary doctorate from that institution. In Philadelphia, he served on the boards of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, March of Dimes, United Fund, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Blue Cross and WHYY (public radio and television) from its inception. He was one of the founders of the University City Science Center and was an advocate for disadvantaged residents displaced by that building.

He is survived by his wife and three children, Karen Gundersheimer, Linda Levy and Julius Rosenwald 3rd and their partners, Werner Gundersheimer, Paul Levy and Margo Cardner; five grandchildren, Jeffrey, Deborah and Timothy Levy and Joshua and Benjamin Gundersheimer, and three great-grandchildren, Charlie, Eli and Cate Levy. He also leaves his brother, Robert Rosenwald, and two sisters, Joan Scott and Janet Becker. Another sister, Helen Snellenburg, died in 1998.

Donations in Dooley's memory may be sent to Hospice of Martha's Vineyard, Linton avenue, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.