Two weeks ago, Toronto lost one of its last old-time sports personalities, Irving Ungerman. Known for managing the boxing careers of George Chuvalo and Clyde Gray, Ungerman was also a veteran who became a self-made millionaire with a business selling chickens and eggs. He gave back to the community as the director of the Santa Claus parade, he raised millions for local organizations such as the Hospital for Sick Children and the Salvation Army, and was even one of the organizers of the 1972 Summit Series. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia. Here is the story of how they met, told from Irving’s perspective. -Ed.

I had been wounded in England during the Second World War and I had nothing to do when I was released. I flipped the pages of photos of the guests who had come to Toronto for a bar mitzvah when I was overseas. Suddenly one photo stood out. I couldn’t take my eyes off the young blonde woman in the album. She was a really gorgeous gal. I showed the photo to my mother and asked if she knew who the blonde bombshell was. She did. Her name was Sylvia Rothstein and she lived in New York. She was for me. I wanted her. I decided to go to New York and meet her. 

In New York City there wasn’t a hotel room to be had. I took the initiative and called Mrs. Rothstein, who lived in Rockaway Beach on Long Island. I told her who I was and fabricated a white lie that I had just returned from Europe and came to New York for a holiday and couldn’t find a hotel room. Well, part of what I told her was true. I asked if there was a room at their place for me to stay for a few days. There was. I met the Rothsteins and the hot tomato. 

The first date

One look and I was hooked. I was smitten by her smile and other attributes, and I found myself in unfamiliar territory. I was tongue-tied but only for a second. I must have made an impression because the smile I received from her was an open invitation to uncover what was beyond the smile. I did.

The wedding

We were married on January 6, 1946; the wedding took place in New York City. We drove to Florida for our honeymoon. A honeymoon is a remarkable experience. It’s the beginning of a partnership between two people. The war had taught me that tomorrow might not come and each day was a gift. From the day Sylvia and I met, I found that saying to be true.

Shared goals

Sylvia, as I was to learn over the years, is a woman with a strong will and a smart head. I would pitch some of my business ideas to her, sometimes before and sometimes after I took the plunge. We didn’t always agree, but she was not afraid to make her views known – believe me! 

The couple in 2014, after 58 years of marriage.

 

Relationship advice

Our life – Sylvia and mine – at the beginning was not wine and roses, but it wasn’t beer and peanuts either. We enjoyed life to the fullest within the free time I had and my limited income. Work played a big role in my life, and Sylvia became the rock solid foundation on which I would build a better life for both of us.

Secret to success

The secret to success is “Think and Respect.” You have to think carefully what you’re about to do and you have to give a great deal of respect to the people you do the things with – that’s it. We’ve been married 69 years. We are both in our nineties. My life has been good only because I looked inside a photo album. There was a time I thought Sylvia was wealthy, she was, but not with money – with love.