A memorial service was held June 20 for Robert Edward Pereles at Congregation Sinai. A resident of Mequon and Phoenix, he died June 16 of complications of cancer. He was 76.
He was born in Cleveland and came to Milwaukee in 1927 as an infant. He graduated in 1944 from Whitefish Bay High School and in 1949 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-46.
He was the owner of Roller Fabrics Inc., a company that manufactures pile fabric for paint rollers and wax applicators.
He was a founding member of Congregation Sinai, helped find the land on which the synagogue was built and served on the search committee that hired its first spiritual leader, Rabbi Jay Brickman. He also served as vice president of the congregation.
He loved the study of history, particularly of the Civil War, and was a voracious reader of biographies of historical figures. He also loved to travel, especially to Ireland, where he had made 19 trips. “After so many visits, he helped others plan their trips — and he wasn’t even Irish,” his family noted.
He is survived by his wife, Diane Pereles; twin sister Joan (William) Heller of Paradise Valley, Ariz.; brother Richard (Marilyn) Pereles of Potomac, Md.; sons Joseph (Brenda) Pereles of St. Louis, John (Sue) Pereles and Jeffrey (Lisa) Pereles, both of Whitefish Bay; daughter Jean (Martin Strouse) Pereles-Strouse of Glendale; and eight grandchildren.
Rabbi Jay Brickman and Cantor Ruth Berman Harris officiated at the service. Burial was in Greenwood Cemetery.
The family would appreciate memorial contributions to Congregation Sinai or the Civil War Preservation Trust, 11 Public Square, Hagerstown, MD 21740.
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