J
oseph B. Greiner, 95, died at home on Nov. 12 surrounded by family. Born Feb. 7, 1930 in New York City to Dr. Louis Greiner, an Austrian immigrant, and Dorothy Walderman, he was the youngest of three children; siblings Marilyn Schaff and William, and half‑siblings Luise and Stephen, predeceased him.

    He grew up Manhattan, attended Stuyvesant High School where he loved chemistry, photography, and film, and befriended Dr. Siegfried Johannes “Ziggy” Kra and Dr. Stuart Wolfe. He began at Syracuse, transferred to City College for pre‑med, reuniting with Stu and Ziggy and developing a lifelong love of bridge.

    After a year at the Sorbonne, he returned to the U.S., worked briefly in insurance, then entered industrial real estate. He partnered with his brother Bill in Greiner‑Maltz, then founded J.B. Greiner Company, leading it for nearly four decades. He partnered with developers, invested strategically, and taught real‑estate at NYU. He secured the deal that brought the Citibank tower to Long Island City, sparking a boom.

    He retired with his second wife, Sigrid Weschky, who predeceased him. He pursued tennis, cooking, and tech investing, hosting an adult summer camp in Jupiter. He spent summers in Remsenburg, building a family compound.

    He is survived by his children Dawn Kasten, Jennifer Greiner, and John Greiner; grandchildren Julia, Liam, Eleanor, and Aidan; step‑grandchildren Stephanie and Aurora; brother Stephen; sister‑in‑law Inge; ex‑wife Dorothy; cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and his dog Daisy.

    Celebrations of Life will be held in Remsenburg in late December and in Jupiter in February. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Furry Friends Animal Shelter in Jupiter or New York Junior Tennis and Learning in Long Island City.