TT Associate Publisher Paul Rosenthal Dies at 54
Paul Rosenthal, associate publisher of marketing and circulation for Transport Topics Publishing Group, died suddenly on April 16 from natural causes. He was 54.
For nearly 11 years, Rosenthal guided the marketing efforts for TTPG’s newspaper, magazines, directories and digital products.
Howard Abramson, TTPG’s publisher and editorial director, described Rosenthal as “an essential cog in the wheels of Transport Topics.”
“He was a talented manager, a forward-thinking executive who wasn’t afraid to try new things and a fair man who never stopped trying to be better. And he was a treasured friend.
“Transport Topics, ATA and, indeed, the world, are lesser places without him,” Abramson added. “To say he will be missed doesn’t come anywhere near the reality of the situation.”
American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said Rosenthal was “a valuable member of not just Transport Topics but of the American Trucking Associations’ staff” and “an integral part of TT’s success this past decade.”
“It is always shocking and sobering when someone passes away unexpectedly, so my thoughts and prayers go out to Paul’s family and his TT family. . . . He will be missed by all of us at ATA,” Graves said.
Rosenthal’s wife, Barbara, said her husband loved his job more than anyone she knows.
“He loved working with the people. TT challenged him in the right way,” she said.
She said he especially enjoyed helping his co-workers grow.
“He liked to find the best in people and bring it out to help the company,” she said.
Rosenthal was born in 1957 in Spain and grew up in New York City and Great Neck, N.Y. He resided in Baltimore.
His wife said he loved living in Baltimore but also loved his job at Transport Topics, with its office in Northern Virginia, so he refused to choose between the two. As a result, his daily commute was a 54-mile drive each way.
After spending so much time on the road, Rosenthal decided to purchase a vehicle with a diesel engine, a Volkswagen Golf TDI, his wife said.
“He really was a trucker at heart, perhaps,” she said with a laugh.
Rosenthal was also quick to defend truck drivers, saying he’d much rather ride with a trucker than most of the people on the road, she added.
Rosenthal spoke with a passionate, authoritative tone but would always admit when he was wrong, his wife said.
“He was really a very just and fair person, who liked to give credit where credit was due,” she said.
Barbara also said her husband was very attuned to the marketing campaigns he spotted during the course of his daily life.
He closely examined junk mail to see how companies were trying to grab people’s attention, and he took note of the fonts and colors that appeared in the various advertisements, she said.
When one publication changed its fonts and cover style, Rosenthal talked about it for months, she said.
Rosenthal also embraced the challenge of adapting to an increasingly digital publishing environment.
While others were writing off newspapers and publishing companies as online media rose in prominence, Rosenthal instead saw a new opportunity.
“He said, ‘Let’s find a way to use it to our advantage,’ ” his wife said. “When he saw the opportunities that were available, he realized how exciting it was for communication.”
Rosenthal joined TT in April 2001 as director of marketing and circulation and was later promoted to vice president and associate publisher in January 2005.
He came to TT with about 20 years of marketing experience, including positions at Thomson Financial, Systemax and Matthew Bender.
He was a graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and also earned a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law, his wife said.
He was a jazz enthusiast who also loved cycling and the Baltimore Ravens pro football team.
Rosenthal is survived by his wife, Barbara; his mother, Pilar Kaplan; his brother, Dr. Alexander Rosenthal; his sister, Carolyn Prentiss, and her husband, David; two nieces, Katherine and Sarah; and a nephew, James.
This story also appeared in the April 23 print edition of Transport Topics.
