ST. LOUIS: Julius Weissman


01/25/2009

Julius Weissman, who in his 50s co-founded a dance costume company in St. Louis that makes costumes and shoes for girls nationwide, died Friday (Jan. 23, 2009) of kidney disease at a hospice in Boca Raton, Fla., where he had been living for 15 years. He was 92.

Mr. Weissman grew up in St. Louis, graduated from Soldan High School and St. Louis University and worked as an accountant before becoming a partner of the former Stein Egg and Poultry Co. during the 1950s. He married Rose Lebowitz of St. Louis in 1944.

In 1960, the Weissmans turned her hobby of making dance costumes into a business, Weissman's Dancewear, at 6505 Delmar Boulevard in the University City Loop. They rented costumes and sold shoes then began making them for sale through dance teachers and studios. The company became a national catalogue business in 1966.

The company expanded through moves three times, moving in 2004 to the St. Louis Marketplace at 6750 Manchester Avenue. Now called Weissman's Dancewear Solutions, it employs 700 people in manufacturing and sales of costumes for girls in ballet, jazz, tap and lyrical dance recitals and competitions.
The Weissmans were longtime residents of Olivette. Rose Weissman died in 1991.

Mr. Weissman retired from active management when he moved to Florida but was chairman emeritus on his death. His son, Howard Weissman of Clayton, is company president and his granddaughter, Lauren Kerner of Clayton, is executive vice president.

In addition to his son and granddaughter, among the survivors are two sisters, Rita Bunn of St. Louis and Lorraine Portnoy of Plano, Texas; a great-granddaughter; and a companion, Harriet Finn of Boca Raton.

Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Congregation B'nai Amoona, 432 South Mason Road, Creve Coeur, followed by a funeral service there at 2 p.m. Interment will be at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road, Chesterfield.

Memorial contributions may be made to the ALS Association, St. Louis Regional Chapter, 2258 Weldon Parkway, St. Louis, Mo. 63146.