Milwaukee, Marquette Remember Joe Zilber
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee community gathered Tuesday to remember an influential philanthropist in the area.
A moving tribute to Joseph Zilber happened on the Marquette University campus.
Those who came to remember him called him a great philanthropist and real estate tycoon, a man who loved making deals, but most of all, as a man who wanted to make change in the Milwaukee community, and did.
Close to 500 people packed the Alumni Memorial Union at Marquette, his alma mater, for the Tuesday morning service.
Zilber made a name for himself in real estate, but he spent his later years on philanthropy, both here at Marquette, and notably with the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative.
That was a $50 million pledge to help Milwaukee's poorest neighborhood.
Up until his death, he talked about what he wanted to see in Milwaukee's future.
People heard from city and community leaders, as well as Zilber's close friends and family.
"In the final analysis, what Joe wanted his life to be was not simply building homes and things, but building communites," said Marquette university president Fr. Robert Wild, S.J.
"That's what he was about."
The most emotional part of the service came when Zilber's close friend, Mike Mervis, read a note Zilber wrote for his funeral.
He thanked his family and friends for their kind words, and he also reminded them that there is still work to be done.
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