Walter Gusdorf, who escaped from Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport, and who helped start a furniture  manufacturing company, died Sunday, May 8. He was 89 and a longtime St. Louis resident.

Mr. Gusdorf was born in Worms, Germany, near Frankfurt on Sept. 17, 1926, the son of Sigmund And Anna Heilbronner Gusdorf. He grew up in a family that skied, rock climbed and hiked in the nearby Black Forest, which caused him to develop a lifetime love of the outdoors.

The Gusdorf family was a victim of Nazi aggression against the Jews of Germany. On Kristallnacht, Nov. 9-10, 1938, he opened the door. The Nazis barged into the family home, ransacking the house and terrorizing his family. Mr. Gusdorf and his two brothers, Paul and John, fled Germany on the Kindertransport in 1939, after which they traveled by ship from Trieste, Italy to Ellis Island in New York. The Gusdorf brothers were generously sponsored by the Lowenhaupt family of St. Louis.

During World War II, Mr. Gusdorf served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater of Operation, where he was stationed in the Philippines. Following the war, Mr. Gusdorf and his family started Gusdorf & Sons, a furniture manufacturing company. They started bulding television stands for Zenith and RCA when TVs were introduced to the consumer market in the early 1950s. 

Gusdorf & Sons grew to become a large national corporation, manufacturing furniture for televisions, audio equipment and computers. Mr. Gusdorf held 20 patents related to the design and manufacture of furniture. His family describes him as “caring deeply for his employees” and serving as a mentor and role model to many in the business community.

Mr. Gusdorf enjoyed European travel with his wife, fishing with a close knit group of friends, including his brothers and dear friend Charles Kilgen. He also enjoyed skiing with friends and family in Beaver Lake, Colo. He was a passionate cyclist and member of bike groups, including the Turtles and Spinners in St. Louis and Naples, Fla.

In an obituary submitted to the Light, the family wrote, “He taught us lessons of perseverance, optimism, kindness and tolerance. He loved hiking, fishing, biking and good food and shared these passions generously with his wife, children, grandchildren and friends.”

Survivors include his wife, the former Ruth Heilbronner; sons Gerald M. Gusdorf, Jeffrey O. Gusdorf (Dr. Linda Smith); daughter Ellen Gusdorf Faye (Martin Faye) and four grandchildren, and brother, Paul Gusdorf (Carol). 

A funeral service was scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at Temple Israel, with Rabbi Amy Feder officiating. Interment was planned to take place at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery.

Memorial contributions preferred to the Interfaith Fund and/or the Rabbinic Discretionary Fund at Temple Israel, 1 Alvin Rubin Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63141, or to the St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, 12 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63146.