Ansel Elihu Aberly

Born in Detroit, Michigan on June 20, 1935, Ansel was the son of the late Herman and Rose Aberly and predeceased by his brother Paul Aberly and sister Norma Goldsmith. He died of renal failure from chronic kidney disease on August 3, 2020 in Dallas, TX, where he enjoyed living for the last 13 years with Suzanne, his wife of 59 years. Ansel always described meeting Suzanne 60-plus years ago as a coup de foudre -- being hit by a bolt of lightning. It was love at first sight. Ansel's parents moved briefly to Cleveland, Ohio and then back to Michigan when he was a young boy, where Ansel enjoyed a colorful childhood that included baseball, visits to the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the occasional game of pool. The son of immigrants, he developed an ear for languages listening to his parents converse in Yiddish and quickly became a fluent speaker. He attended the University of Michigan, graduating with degrees in Spanish, French, and Foreign Relations. He credits the University with teaching him how to write a declarative sentence and one of his favorite classes was an immersive course on Don Quixote. He also served his country, a peacetime Army draftee, sent to Alabama where he learned to program the Hawk missile. Ansel joined his father's scrap business, the Standard Lead Company, in the heart of Detroit. With Herman's guidance, he worked his way up, learning and excelling at every facet of the business, starting at the bottom, "schlepping" batteries. He became known as "Mr. Golden Hands" for his ability to repair most anything. Years later, Ansel owned the company and transformed it. Renamed SLC Recycling, it become the most modern scrap plant in the Tri-State area of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Although SLC was a state-of-the art operation, Ansel adhered to longstanding traditions, proud that he could make a deal on a handshake or with a verbal telephone agreement. As such, he occasionally bemoaned the invention of the FAX machine that eliminated the personal connection. Ansel enjoyed sailing and was a self-taught, good tennis player. His early visits to the DIA fostered a love of art and museums. His affection for sports extended to the Detroit Tigers/Briggs Stadium and the "Bad Boy" Pistons. He enjoyed theater, dance, and most music, from country to classical, with a special affection for Dave Brubeck's jazz stylings. An avid reader, he was a fan of famed journalist James B. "Scotty" Reston and of the paper he wrote for, the New York Times, which Ansel began reading at age 18. A true citizen of the world, his travels took him to Spain, Italy, London, Denmark, Sweden, China, the Netherlands, Mexico and more, with many trips to New York , L.A., Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, as well as summers in Santa Fe and at his beloved cottage in Union Pier, Michigan, nicknamed Far Niente. Ansel appreciated design, whether creating jewelry for Suzanne or a new kitchen - he was a good cook. He was an exceptional raconteur. He adored the last of his many dogs, the Weimaraner, "Zisa the Wonder Dog." A non-practicing Jew intent on "repairing the world," Ansel was a pantheist who loved nature. His Whitmanesque fondness of the natural world merged with his enthusiasm for shooting sporting clays and he especially enjoyed joining his daughter Jessica and her husband Pieter on their shared hobby in Michigan and New Mexico. He took immense pleasure in the achievements of his daughters, Rachel Aberly (McLane), Naomi Aberly (Lebowitz), Jessica Aberly (Ditmars). HIs tradition of Daddy-Daughter dinner dates when they were children was a high point for him and them. He also enjoyed close relationships with his sons-in-law, Fred McLane, Larry Lebowitz, and Pieter Ditmars, and he loved that his grandsons, Matthew and Benjamin Lebowitz, became "menschen." A life-long Democrat, he asked for your support of Joe Biden for President, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), Annie's List, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas or The Nasher Sculpture Garden, Dallas

Ansel Elihu Aberly

June 20, 1935 - August 3, 2020