After working his way to the top, Lipstein felt he was the “luckiest man alive.”
Irwin Lipstein, who dedicated his career to the wholesale candy and tobacco industry, passed away on Jan. 13 at the age of 87.
Lipstein was a man driven to succeed. At one time, recounted his family, he worked four jobs at one time: a stadium concessioner, salesman and part-time shoe salesman and armory concessioner. He climbed the corporate ladder from a salesman in a candy/tobacco concern to assistant sales manager to sales manager. Then he went on to become president of several candy and tobacco wholesalers over the course of his career.
He is survived by his high school sweetheart, Joan who he married 68 years ago, along with sons Howard and Robert, daughter in laws, Nora and Francine, Grandchildren Liza and her husband Jason, Rebecca and Zachary.
While giving his father’s eulogy, his son Robert noted that for the last several years, and especially his last year, Lipstein would often say that he was “the luckiest man alive.” “Dad would say that for a number of reasons—first because he felt privileged to be an American, second because he was proud of his accomplishments and who he was, third because he loved his wife and all of our family and was proud of each of us and fourth because while he was not a rich man, he felt he was never in want.”