Joe Reisman, retired partner and father of our Vice Chairman, Stephen Reisman, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2019 at the age of 91.

Well-known in and beyond the South Florida real estate, construction and legal communities, we remember Joe fondly as an engaging, kind, and brilliant individual – an example of the “consummate gentleman”. Ever thoughtful in his approach to life and the law, those who knew Joe enjoyed his keen wit and hearty sense of humor and appreciated his willingness to help others in need. Colleagues, clients, and friends, and of course his family, were enamored of his unflappable composure and wisdom, regardless of challenge or circumstance, and were rewarded for knowing him whether personally or in business.

In 1951, Joe became a founding partner of Rosenberg, Reisman and Stein, the Miami-based real estate/construction law firm that later merged with Peckar & Abramson, PC. In this and every role he took on, Joe’s combination of legal erudition, practicality, ethics and leadership exemplified professionalism. Soft-spoken, kind, and respectful of all, Joe’s tradition and commitment to passionate representation of clients lives on through his legacy and in the many attorneys he mentored throughout his life.

Dedication to the real estate and construction industries was key to Joe’s practice. Among other publications, he was the author of the “Foreclosure of Construction Liens” section of a real property litigation manual published by the Florida Bar, was a frequent speaker on real estate and construction law topics, and served in a number of boards and other civic roles in Dade County, including the Citizens Task Force appointed by the County Commission of Dade County in the development of its master plan for land use. He was also instrumental in developing the first set of condominium documents in Florida that have served as a model for the forms that are used even today.

Joe is survived by his son, Stephen Reisman (Cindy), Vice Chairman of Peckar & Abramson; daughters, Sheri Marcus (Ralph) and Laura Dennis (Michael); grandchildren, Leslie Sanders (Tim), Dana Voss (Joel), Anne Berenson (Andrew), Karen Marcus, Russell Dennis (Aditi Shenoy), Brian Dennis (Jessica Timlin), and Andrew Dennis, and great grandchildren Jacob, Ryan and Emma Sanders and Aiden and Dylan Voss. Joe’s soulmate and loving wife of 70 years, Norma, predeceased him in 2019. Joe and Norma were founding members of Temple Beth Am and were involved in numerous community organizations.