Community leader Dick Rosenzweig passes
Beverly Hills resident Richard “Dick” Rosenzweig, a prominent executive at Playboy Enterprises Inc for several decades, passed away May 6 at age 84.
Rosenzweig first started at Playboy Enterprises Inc in 1958. He was on the Board of Directors and worked closely with Playboy’s founder and editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner and CEO Scott Flanders as their senior advisor. Prior to that, he was Playboy’s Executive Vice President.
“Dick has worked with me since the early days of the magazine in Chicago, and since that time he has been my trusted advisor and business partner,” Hefner said in 2011, in a statement regarding Rosenzweig’s new position as advisor.
He was also the non-executive chair of the Playboy Jazz Festival and chairman of Alta Loma Entertainment. He produced several well-known films and reality television shows, including the “House Bunny,” “Kendra,” “The Girls Next Door,” “The Playboy Club,” among others.
Rosenzweig will be dearly missed by Playboy staffers and fans, the company said on its twitter.
“Dick Rosenzweig, a legendary and beloved member of the Playboy family for over 60 years, has moved on to that great Mansion in the sky,” the magazine said.
He moved to Los Angeles in 1977, after being given responsibility for all of Playboy’s West Coast operations. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown later appointed Rosenzweig to the Economic and Business Development Council of California.
Rosenzweig served in a number of roles in Beverly Hills’ civic government.
He served on the Beverly Hills’ Fine Arts Commission, the Beverly Hills Visitors Bureau, the Economic Development Council of Beverly Hills, and the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce for several years.
Former Mayor Les Bronte said Rosenzweig was one of his closest friends for over 40 years.
“He was more than a brother and I will deeply miss him. He did so much for the City of Beverly Hills and me personally,” Bronte said. “Rest in peace, my brother.”
Former Beverly Hills Police Chief Dave Snowden said Rosenzweig was a pillar of the community and a strong supporter of art. He said he was a generous man who gave his time and energy to making Beverly Hills a better place to live.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend,” Snowden said. “Even with all of his accomplishments, he was humility personified.”
Former Mayor Linda Briskman said Rosenzweig was in a class all by himself.
“No surprise that up until he became too ill, we were brainstorming on the next big marketing effort with the Conference and Visitors Bureau. I called him the idea man,” Briskman said. “Always thinking of could we, should we, will we. I will miss his guidance and his friendship.”
Rosenzweig was known as a passionate supporter of the arts. He helped found the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and served on both the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and the Chicago International Film Festival.
He was Chairman of the Modern and Contemporary Art Council of the Los Angeles County Art Museum. Rosenzweig was a director and president of the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and a board member of the Music Center’s Fraternity of Friends.
“He was a treasure to all of us who knew him, his legacy will last forever,” Snowden said.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Henning.
