A noted Colorado gasoline business entrepreneur, Democratic supporter and prominent figure in the Denver Jewish community died Tuesday.
Harold Grueskin, 92, is remembered by loved ones as a man who worked hard to better his community.
“He was somebody who lived his values with a vengeance and a smile,” said son and Denver lawyer Mark Grueskin. “He lived them in our house. He lived them in our community. And he lived them in the greater world.”
Harold Grueskin and his family moved from Iowa to Colorado Springs in 1958. He opened a gas station and went up against major oil companies as a sole proprietor.
“It angered the industry establishment,” Mark Grueskin said. “He was a tenacious and good-natured competitor and found that his natural talents for marketing paid off.”
Harold Grueskin grew his business from one gas station to 13 throughout Colorado. In 1968, Vickers Petroleum Co. bought Grueskin out and made him an executive in their company. In the early 1980s, Grueskin moved to Denver and became a consultant for the oil industry for the next 20 years or so.
“He was also a very active and committed Democrat, which is only slightly easier living in Colorado Springs today than it was in the late 50s and early 60s,” Mark Grueskin said. “I would bet there’s never been an election he’s missed and never a Democratic candidate who hasn’t at least asked him for money, and he’s, invariably, said yes.”
An active member of the Jewish community, Harold Grueskin served on many committees and boards that supported his faith including starting and funding a program at Denver Jewish Community Center that helped families with newborn children incorporate their Jewish identity into their lives.
“There’s no one in this world who doesn’t like Harold Grueskin,” said Rabbi Joseph Black at Denver’s Temple Emanuel. “I miss him already. He was a strong contributor through finance and through his presence, his teachings, his concern.”
Mark Grueskin said his father embodied a philosophy taught to him by his father: Give until you feel good.
“My dad was so generous both in spirit and in terms of giving to the community financially and with his time,” Mark Grueskin said. “I don’t know that anybody at the end of his life could feel as good as he deserved to feel.”
Harold Grueskin is survived by his four children: Linda Niven, Sally Kaplan, Mark Grueskin and William Grueskin. He was predeceased by his first wife, Charlotte Grueskin, and his second wife, Roslyn Hepner Grueskin. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Emanuel-Feiner Chapel in Denver with interment to follow at Emanuel Cemetery.
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez @denverpost.com or @ehernandez
Updated Dec. 31, 2015, at 10 a.m. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction. Originally, due to incorrect information from a source, Harold Grueskin’s age was wrong. He was 92 when he died.
