Born in Cleveland, Ohio
In 1941, Jay moved to Midland and purchased his clothing business, Jay’s Men’s and Boy’s Wear.
Jay was a leading Downtown Midland merchant in Midland from 1941 until his retirement in 1984. Jay was known as “Mr. Main Street.”
Grosberg was a driving effort, with the aid of the MDBD (Midland Downtown Business District) members, to motivate local merchants to take additional pride in their stores and their services. The net result was a new spirit that surfaced among members of the downtown business community who, for the first time in many years, united behind a common objective of making Midland a better place to shop.
In 1943, Jay married the former Risha Goldberg.
Mr. Grosberg was instrumental in organizing Washington Woods in Midland and was a founder of Big Brothers of Midland.
Mr. Grosberg was a promoter of many civic projects, including the Midland Foundation, the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, Midland Family & Children’s Services, Orchestra, Adult Literacy, Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Midland Downtown Business Association. And other civic projects in Midland.
The mayor of Midland, Robert Goodenough, said about Grosberg, “He was an honest, straightforward man and a pleasure to deal with.” “He was a straight shooter”. “A very good friend”.
“His work with the Midland Foundation was outstanding. He was a remarkable, thoughtful, humble man”. – Eileen Starks, President of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Craig McDonald shares a heartwarming story: “My Uncle Sam Branscom was in WWII. When the war ended, he came home and needed to get a job and needed new clothes. He went down to Jay’s Men’s and told Jay how much money he had, which wasn’t much. Jay told him not to worry about the money and helped him get clothes. Jay then said he was happy to help my uncle since my uncle had fought in the war for all of us. From that year on, my uncle and my cousin Pam would visit Jay on Christmas Eve at the store, sharing some Christmas cheer and recounting Jay’s kindness. That is the type of kindness and generosity that Jay and Risha Grosberg exhibited throughout their lives in Midland.”
Jay passed away in 1995 at the age of 78.