Norm Ebenstein was born on October 23, 1928, in New York City. His parents, Samuel and Jeanette Ebenstein, soon moved to Worcester, Massachusetts. The family was proud of their Jewish heritage, a pride which they instilled deeply into young Norm. Ebenstein was a believer in the importance of education and worked hard in school. Throughout his life, he taught his family to love education and took great pride in their educational accomplishments.
Ebenstein attended high school at the renowned Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He continued his education by attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He majored in Economics at Brown University, paving the road for his future business ventures. Ebenstein plays varsity baseball at Brown University and was recognized as an accomplished pitcher. He met the love of his life, Shirley Gorlick while attending the University, which leads to their eventual marriage of 65 years.
Life Story: Norm Ebenstein
Norm realized his undergraduate degree in Economics from Brown University was not enough. He quickly enrolled in the Law Program at Boston University, receiving his Law Degree a few years later. He became involved with tennis while at Boston University, which became a lifetime passion.
Norm founded Capital Commercial Properties and led the company as its president for over 50 years. The company was instrumental in building shopping centers, residential properties, malls, and other commercial properties in the region. He took great pride in the Eden Center shopping district the company spearheaded in Virginia. The Eden Center became the social and cultural center for the area, especially for people of Vietnamese descent up and down the East Coast. Norm’s passion for business was overshadowed by his concerns for the residents of the area. He made sure they built properties which people could feel proud of and would provide services to the region for years.
Norm was not only interested in business. He enjoyed helping the communities they served, which was evident in his support and leadership in non-profit organizations in the area. He created a philanthropic foundation to support services in the region and to inspire other business leaders to contribute, also.
Norm Ebenstein passed away on December 20, 2016, reaching the age of 88. He is remembered for living a full life filled with the love of his family, his passion for business, and his desire to help others. His combination of charisma, quick wit, professional attitude, and intelligence will be remembered for a long time.
Norm was survived by his wife Shirly, a son and a daughter, his daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. They fondly remember the impact Norm had on the family and the community.
Here are the other assets by Commercial Properties Inc. in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania:
EDEN CENTER (Falls Church, VA)
JAVIER ROAD (Fairfax, VA)
STONEYMILL SQUARE (Silver Spring, MD)
SULLIVAN PLACE RETAIL (Alexandria, VA)
BEL AIR PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER (Johnstown, PA)
HILLANDALE SHOPPING CENTER (Silver Spring, MD)
TIMONIUM SQUARE (Timonium, MD)