Rudolf Bisenz passed away peacefully on June 19, 2010 at the age of 96.
Rudolf or “Rudi,” as he was most commonly known, was born on August 13, 1913 in Salzburg, Austria and spent his childhood in Vienna with his loving parents, Hedwig and David Bisenz. Rudi left his native land in 1932 to emigrate to Palestine, where he was employed by the newly built King David Hotel in Jerusalem. He was an avid tennis and soccer player. He took the social scene by storm with his participation as saxophone player in a three piece band and as a skillful dancer.
Rudi married Susi, another ex-pat from Austria, and the newly weds were able to arrange passage to the United States, where they joined family in Charleston, South Carolina. Soon after the birth of their only child, Eve, in 1948, they moved to New York City, where Rudi started Parkdale, a very high quality dry cleaning service. During its twenty-five years of operation, Parkdale also became a community meeting place for many Forest Hills locals in response to Rudi’s warm, welcoming manner and sense of humor. After his retirement, Rudi and Susi were able enjoy extensive traveling, by air and sea, to a number of destinations, from China and Europe to the Americas and the Panama Canal.
In 2002, Rudi became a widower when Susi unexpectedly succumbed to liver damage associated with an illness she had contracted as a teenager. Rudi elected to continue to stay in New York City for as long as he was able, enjoying the companionship of life long friends. For the last year and a half of his life, Rudi lived in Bellevue, WA, close to his daughter and son-in-law.