The Ilkuvitz Family

Edward (1877-1932) and Sadie Weinberg (1892-1959) Ilkuvitz immigrated to Western Pennsylvania from Hungary as early as 1909. After a short time in the small town of Blair Station, Pa., they opened a men’s clothing shop in nearby Clairton, Pa. In 1923, Edward and Sadie Ilkuvitz built a store at 553 Miller Street in downtown Clairton. They lived in an apartment above the store with their two children, Norman and Renee.

Norman Ilkuvitz (1914-1995) graduated from Clairton High School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. In his senior year, he won the Jacob Mendelson prize for the highest grades in pharmaceutical economics. He was a long-standing member of Alpha Zeta Omega, Mu Chapter (the now-inactive University of Pittsburgh branch of the national Jewish pharmaceutical fraternity) and served as a director of the organization on both the chapter and national level. Ilkuvitz was a senior in high school when his father died. Throughout college, he worked at the family store during the day and traveled to Pittsburgh in the evenings to take classes and apprentice at a pharmacy. He eventually worked fulltime at the store. Although he never opened a pharmacy, as he had hoped, he always maintained his professional credentials.

Ilkuvitz regularly made purchasing trips to Pittsburgh, particularly to the Jewish wholesalers along Fifth Avenue in Uptown, including Robert E. Comins and Al Cazen.

The Ilkuvitz family attended Congregation B’nai Abraham Anshe Sfard in Clairton, which was incorporated in 1908. In 1979, Norman Ilkuvitz was among the final four members who voted to dissolve the congregation, sell the synagogue property and donate the resulting assets to Hillel Academy and Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh. He was also a long-standing member of Congregation Gemilas Chesed in McKeesport, Pa.

Renee Ilkuvitz married Charles David Isack. They had two children, Edward and Steven.