Sol F Galper

Sol Fred Galper, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed peacefully in his home at the age of 95.

Born to parents Rebecca and Sam Galper in Detroit, Sol enjoyed a humble yet loving childhood alongside his older brother, Sidney. During the Great Depression, Sam moved their family out West, settling in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. There, they were surrounded by a strong Jewish community, where Yiddish was commonly spoken. Sol was fortunate to meet many neighbors, as well as playmates at Wabash Park and classmates at Roosevelt High School, who became lifelong friends.

Sol enlisted in the Army when he turned 18. He then studied education at Cal State Los Angeles, where he also went on to get his master’s degree in public administration. He became a special education teacher at a Palisades elementary school. During this time, he met his wife, Sharlene, and they wed in 1955.

Sol continued to teach but started attending night school at UCLA to study real estate, following in his father’s footsteps as a builder. He took every real estate course offered and then pursued the industry full time. He built his first shopping center at age 33 in Bakersfield, which marked the beginning of an incredibly successful career. He went on to build more shopping centers and apartment complexes, and eventually expanded into building, owning and operating skilled nursing facilities. He credited his success to “the ability to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself,” a notion he instilled in his children and grandchildren.

Sol was very involved in his community, serving as a patron of education, the arts and his Jewish heritage. He was a proud member of University Synagogue, Riviera Country Club, the Wabash Saxons, the YMCA and the Jewish Lawn Tennis Association. His friendships were of the utmost importance; he played golf or tennis with friends almost daily, and he attended weekly breakfast and lunch gatherings with them for over 30 years. He was also a world traveler, visiting countless destinations with his wife and other couples. In the early 1980s, he built his dream home, which served as the central gathering place for memorable events. Among the guests, you could find him telling stories and Yiddish jokes, playing cards or drinking a glass of Glenlivet 12.

In his later years, Sol enjoyed morning walks along Venice Beach and trips to Costco, Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out. He and Sharlene would order their lunch to-go and drive to the ocean, so they could dine with a view.

Sol will be remembered for his compassion for those in need, his sense of humor, his business savvy and his devotion to family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Sharlene; his three children, Norman, Steven and Susan; and his seven grandchildren, Briana, Ari, Adam, Brian, Nicole, Marlee and Nathan. Sol was laid to rest at Hillside Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to the Salesian Family Youth Center of Los Angeles, Homeboy Industries and Breed Street Shul Project.