Obituary of Kurt Rostan

Kurt Rostan, 97, passed away on July 9, 2019. Kurt was raised in Limbourg, Germany. His father owned a successful textile business. His early childhood was a happy one. He enjoyed listening to concerts and going on vacation to the Black Forest with his sister, Clare, father, Julius and his mother, Alice. All this changed when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Nazi youth made Rostan's life unbearable and he was often bullied or beaten by Nazi gangs. Rostan and his family fled Nazi Germany and the persecution of its Jewish citizens at he outset of World War II. He lived for one year in England where he taught himself English, listening to barristers in London advocate for their clients. Eventually he obtained a certificate as an interpreter in French, English and german. In January 1940, Rostan and his familysailed to New York. The trip accross the ocean was harrowing one as the ship had to constantly evade German U-boats. Shortly after arriving in new York, the family settled in Vineland, new Jersey and the family had to learn a new trade. Rostan studied animal husbandry and helped his family start a chicken farm. Rostan also studied real estate at around this time and eventually obtained his real estate license in the late 1940's. In the 1950"s he founded Republic Mortgage Company and Republic Realty Company. The companies developed commerical properties, shopping centers and hospitals in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. Rostan related to family members how in the early 1950's he had to stand up for the rights of minorities to purchase real estate. Rostan retired to Sn Diego, California in the 1980's and lived there until 2015. he returned to live near his new jersey fmily members in 2015 and resided at he Daughters of Israel Nursing Home at the time of his death. Rostan traveled extensively abroad, especially with his second wife Anna and enjoyed learning about other cultures. He also loved to sing and had a beautiful baritone voice.