I did not know Chuck Rothstein; that was my loss.
Long-time Knoxville businessowner and entrepreneur Chuck Rothstein, 87, passed away Saturday, February 5, 2022. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Lunda Brady Rothstein, in 2014, and is survived by their two sons, Morrie and Monty.
Mr. Rothstein lived his life by this quote: “Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” More from his obituary here.
After graduating from Penn State in business, he served for two years in the U.S. Navy. He sold insurance in Florida for Metropolitan Life, and then took a job as regional sales manager for Schlitz Brewing Company. That job brought him to Knoxville where he met Lunda. They were married in 1966.
Chuck started his first business, Redi Rentals, on Northshore Drive in 1969, renting construction equipment and tools. With the 1982 World’s Fair, he started Party Rentals. In 1993, he relocated both businesses to 5825 Middlebrook Pike, former site of UPS. He and Lunda sold the businesses in 1998.
Though retired, he helped Terry Turner, a 30-year friend and former employee, launch All Occasion Party Rentals at the same site on Middlebrook Pike.
And Turner is acknowledging his friend Chuck Rothstein by hosting a celebration of life at the business, 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15. Those who knew Chuck are invited to attend, share stories and pay tribute to his life well lived. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served and valet parking provided. (I may sneak in; these guys know how to throw a party.)