Obituary
Luis Spitz, 88, of Highland Park, IL, died on April 15, 2024. Beloved husband and best friend of Fortuna for 61 wonderful years; loving father of Vicky (Orin) Oberlander and the late Debby. Luis was born in Budapest, Hungary and survived the war by being hidden in a cellar with his family by Christian friends.
In 1948 his family moved to Venezuela, posing as Christians, as few countries were accepting Jewish Holocaust survivors. His father died 4 years later, his health being compromised by time spent in a forced labor camp. Luis, his older brother, and parents had to adapt to a completely foreign language and culture.
He was awarded a scholarship from the Venezuelan government to study in the U.S. and received a Bachelor's Degree in chemical engineering
He began his studies at the University of Illinois and then completed his studies at Wayne State University.
In 1960 he got his first job with Shell Oil Company in Maracaibo,Venezuela, where he met his wife Fortuna. He returned to the U.S. and started working in the soap division of Armour-Dial Corporation in Chicago. A year later he returned to marry Fortuna and bring her to live with him in the States.
In 1965 he became a sales representative for several Italian manufacturers of soap and packaging machinery. He became an expert in his field and started his
global consulting firm in 1978. He organized several conferences and wrote five textbooks that are very useful to all in the soap industry.
He and Fortuna collected soap-related memorabilia as a hobby and created a mini museum in their home, which will now become a part of a soap
museum for Grupo Hada International, a soap company in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Despite all the trauma in his life, including the tragic loss of his dear daughter Debby at age 18, he soldiered on, working hard to provide for his family, always taking an interest in what was happening in the world around him, and being generous and kind to those in need. Memorial donations in his honor may be made to the charity of your choice. Interment Shalom Memorial Park. Chapel service, Thursday, April 18, 2024; 12:15 PM at Shalom Memorial Funeral Home 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights,IL. For shiva information and to leave condolences: www.shalommemorial.org or (847) 255-3520.