CELEBRATE LEGACY
BY JENNIFER BRUGH
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FREDRIC RUBEL A LIFE WELL-LIVED
When a loved one passes, the best thing we can do is honor their memory. By doing so, we not only keep their legacy alive, but we also get to share our love and admiration for them with the world. And that’s precisely what we intend to do here at Fredric H. Rubel. I n January 2023, our beloved father, grandfather, friend, and mentor, Fredric Rubel, lost his courageous battle with Alzheimer’s, passing peacefully at home. But his passing is not the thing we wish for you to remember. Instead, we wish for you to remember him just as we remember him: a man with an impeccable eye for jewelry who displayed a profound level of kindness to everyone he met. “He was always very engaging, and he was always interested in people in a sincere way, not in a salesy way, as my son Mike likes to say,” says David Rubel, Fred’s oldest son and current owner. “He wasn’t salesy. He genuinely cared about people, and when they came in, he would sit down with them and talk to them and listen to them.” A LOOK BACK IN TIME Fred’s parents, Barney and Rose Rubel, started the family business back in 1928. Back then, it was called Crescent Jewelers and sold just about everything you could think of, from shavers and silverware to crystalware and writing utensils. By the time Fred was 13, he knew his path was set to take over the company. But being prepared was at the top of his, and his parents’, priority list. Emphasizing the importance of a good education, Fred’s parents encouraged their son to pursue a college education. So, after graduating from Berkley in 1956, Fred returned home to work full- time in the family business. By that time, his mother and aunt were running the store, while Fred’s father recovered from a stroke. “I think when he first returned after graduating from Berkeley, he was sort of inquisitive about all of it,” says David. “And as he started working, I think his mother Rose showed him what they did and how they did it, but I think my father kind of saw that there were some better ways to do things.” By 1968, Fred had narrowed down store inventory to fine jewelry and timepieces and even introduced Rolex to the cases — a deal he managed with the
help of a cousin in Arizona. Purchasing the first watches from a Rolex catalog, Fred established our company as the oldest independent Rolex jeweler in California. Just three short years later, Fred opened a third location in San Bernardino and officially changed the name to Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers. He also finished his graduate gemologist degree at the Gemological Institute of America — joining a prestigious group of jewelers from across the country. As the company expanded, moved, and changed, Fred remained true to his vision of establishing Fredric H. Rubel as the go-to jeweler for every generation. He did so by focusing on educating each customer that walked through the door. A PLACE FOR LEARNING According to David, his father was an avid reader and lifelong learner, and he loved to share his intellect with others. Fred knew that the jewelry- buying journey wasn’t always straightforward, and he felt the importance didn’t lie in the sale but in what you could teach someone who was new to buying timeless pieces. And his elegant approach to educating customers on the goods they were buying stemmed from his innate ability to connect with and listen to people. “He liked to sit down with young people and explain things to them and explain here’s how you should do it,” says David. “Once he built all that trust and confidence, those people kept coming back, and then their kids kept coming, and there was a snowball effect.” David recalls how Fred helped him and his brother, Gary, fine-tune their diamond presentations — something Fred made them practice over and over, again, until he felt it was right, and is now something Fred’s granddaughter Charlotte gets to rehearse with clients. But Fred’s teachings also extended beyond the jewelry counter. Gary recalls observing his father’s engaging nature while growing up, noting how Fred interacted with the family’s gardener. Gary would often find Fred offering a cup of coffee or even a helping hand, expressing the same genuine interest in the man who took care of the lawn as he did in the people who bought jewelry.
“The greatest lesson I learned from my dad was kindness. I observed the way he worked with people and how he engaged with them,” says Gary. “Whether you were a customer, a waiter, or a gardener, my dad showed kindness to everyone.” A FAMILY MAN Outside of running a business, Fred loved spending time with his family. He and his lovely wife, Joan, enjoyed playing bridge and traveling all over the world — even celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in Oregon in 2017 and making a trip to Japan in 2018. Fred also shared his love of Dodgers baseball with the family, often bonding with his kids and grandkids at games or listening to broadcasts over the radio. “I think my dad would tell you that what he loved most in this world were his grandkids,” says Gary. “David has two sons, our sister has two sons, and I have two daughters.” Both David and Gary attest to the fact that Fred and Joan never missed a sporting event, school function, or high school or college graduation while the kids were growing up. David also says the daily activities and traveling kept Fred’s mind and body active for many years, even as Alzheimer’s disease progressed. Until it was no longer feasible, and Fred could no longer walk, he and Joan made daily trips to their favorite little coffee shops and lunch spots around town, continuing to live life to the fullest. HONORING A LEGACY As we look ahead, we’re reminded of Fred in everything we do here at Fredric H. Rubel. Fred’s impact affects every business decision David and Gary make, as well as every customer interaction at the sales counter. But Fred’s greatest contribution to the company and industry? Expressing kindness. “We learned a lot from my father, but I think the most important lesson he taught us was to always be kind,” says David. “Kindness goes a long way when you’re running a business. We apply that to everything we do here, and that will never change.”
12 FREDRIC H. RUBEL MAGAZINE
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