Sol Joseph Grossman, June 3, 1927 - January 23, 2019
Sol Joseph Grossman was born in Boyle Heights, California, the eldest child of immigrant parents David Grossman and Eva Magnes Grossman. He left Roosevelt High School at age 17 to join the US Navy during the height of WWII. Following discharge in 1946, he was a Charter student at East LA Jr College after which he attended Santa Monica Jr. College. He earned his BA degree at UCLA and received his MSLS Degree at USC in 1953. Following a period of working for the LA Public Library system, he spent several years employed by Jake Zeitlin as a bookseller.
In 1958, he founded Western Periodicals Company and built sets of out-of-print scientific journals, selling them worldwide to graduate schools, government agencies, and industrial plants. Over 32 years, Western Periodicals Co. evolved into a publishing entity producing some 500 proceedings of scientific meetings. He was also a pioneer in the use of computers to index technical literature and was elected President of the Book Publishers of Southern California in 1970 and 1971.
In 1986, he became a founding member of California Book Fair Associates, producing antiquarian book fairs in Glendale, Santa Monica, and Burbank with over 165 booksellers participating. Upon retirement in 1989, he founded the Book Mall of Ventura on Main Street in Ventura, CA, running it successfully with his knowledgeable staff until it was sold in 1994. This store helped spark an upsurge in used and rare bookstores in the City of Ventura.
A 48 year and 10 month long friend of Bill W, his collection of First Edition books on alcoholism was donated to a non-profit institution. His collections of rare mystery fiction ranging from Edgar Allen Poe and Raymond Chandler to contemporary authors went to auction in 2013. His extensive Leo Politi collection is at the Leo Politi Public Library in Fresno, CA.
He was a librarian, bookseller, appraiser, publisher, and book collector. He leaves his wife Patty, daughter Karen Taksa,
grandson Gabriel Taksa, granddaughter Sarah Taksa Zimmerman (husband Ross), grandson Michael Dunklin, great-granddaughter Jasmin, and stepson Michael Bell. He was predeceased by his son Michael Elliot Grossman and daughter Judy Barbara Grossman.
Family and friends are invited to a Memorial at 12:00 noon on March 3, 2019 in the Clubhouse of Ventura Marina Community , 1215 Anchor's Way, Ventura. Arrangements are under the direction of the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, 757 East Main Street, Ventura.