William "Bill" Edward Luberoff was born December 9, 1910 in Philadelphia, PA. His father was Edward "Ned" William Luberoff and his mother was Rose Luberoff. Both of his parents were children of immigrants. The father's parents were Russian Jews from Odessa, and the mother's parents were German Catholics. They were married in 1908, and "Bill" was the oldest of their three children. The children were all raised as Catholics. The family lived at 6804 Chew Avenue in Germantown.
His father began as a salesman of wholesale groceries, but eventually worked at Wanamaker's Department Store at 13th and Market Streets in Philadelphia. The store featured one of the largest pipe organs in the world, which provided musical entertainment for the pleasure of its shoppers. His father worked in the music department as a salesman and demonstrator.
In 1927 his father was promoted to manager in charge of supervising a comparable organ at the Wanamaker's Department Store in New York City. That store took up the entire city block at Broadway and 8th Street. The family relocated to New York, and lived at 8760 191st Street in Hollis, Queens.
Bill Luberoff had four years of high school and then studied at the Art Students League for two years until June of 1931.
In the Fall of 1931 he traveled to Europe by himself on the S.S. Rochambeau. The fact that he traveled alone to Europe at the age of twenty-two during the "hard times" of the Great Depression suggests that his family was comparatively secure in their prosperity at that time, and that they were also remarkably supportive of his career as an artist. The "Grand Tour" gave him a chance to study the old masters in the great art musuems of Europe. He returned to NYC six months later on March 20, 1932
During the 1930s he sold freelance cover illustrations to pulp magazines, such as Adventure, Argosy, Five-Novels Monthly, Love Romances, Rangeland Love Stories, Red Seal Western, Secret Agent-X, Ten Detective Aces, Western Aces, and Western Trails.
On April 6, 1942 he reported for his military induction into WWII and was recorded to be single, five-foot-eleven, and to weigh one hundred and sixty pounds. He entered service as a Private in the U. S. Army Air Force and he was discharged as an officer six months after the war's duration.
In the 1950s he worked for men's adventure magazines, such as Climax and Saga.
From the 1960s onward he produced an impressive series of Christian-themed paintings, many of which are still reproduced and marketed as inspirational posters, puzzles, and calendars.
His paintings are in several public and private art collections, notably including the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
On October 13, 1963 he married Kathleen "Kaye" Alder, at the Resurrection Church in Rye, NY. They moved to 25 Davis Avenue in the town of Rye, in Westchester County, New York. They had no children. During his retirement years he enjoyed world travel and cultivated an expertise as an oenophile and amassed an impressive collection of rare wines. He was also an active committee member of the Coveleigh Club of Rye, NY.
In 1990 in preparation for their senior years Bill and Kaye Luberoff moved into The Osborn assisted living center in Rye, NY.
William Luberoff died at age of ninety-one on March 7, 2002.
© David Saunders 2009 |
