Joseph Zilber, philanthropist and noted national real estate developer, leaves behind a legacy of good will and unmatched philanthropic giving to the City of Milwaukee, with myriad deeds and  dollars given back to his home city.

He died Friday at the age of 92 in Wauwatosa.

Zilber, a 1939 Marquette graduate from the College of Business Administration and 1941 Law School graduate, grew up above his family’s grocery store at 10th Street and Meinecke Avenue on Milwaukee’s North Side.

Zilber went on to found Towne Realty and Zilber Ltd., and in more recent years began giving back with zeal to the Milwaukee community. That included a $30 million gift to the Law School in 2007.

Of the $30 million donation, $25 million went to funding scholarships while the remaining $5 million went to the building of Eckstein Hall.

“Joe Zilber made an immeasurable difference in the lives of Milwaukee’s citizens, and demonstrated again and again, in words and in deeds, his steadfast commitment to the welfare of this community,” said University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild in a statement.

Zilber’s influence at Marquette is manifest in the new student services building opened earlier this year, the Joseph J. and Vera Zilber Hall, which he also helped fund.

In 2009, Zilber received the Marquette Alumnus of the Year award.

In 2008, Zilber dedicated $50 million to improve two of Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods, the largest philanthropic effort in the history of the city. The 10-year plan is underway, revitalizing Lindsay Heights, where Zilber grew up, and continue with the Clarke Square neighborhood on the South Side.

Zilber also gave $10 million to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the creation of a school of public health.

“Joe was a philanthropic giant who worked tirelessly to improve our community,” Mayor Tom Barrett said in a statement. “Milwaukeeans of all ages have been and will continue to be beneficiaries of his spirited generosity, his hopeful vision and his strength and will to make life better for so many.”

Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday, “Wisconsin has lost a great and generous citizen. We are committed to carrying through on his vision for strong, vibrant and successful neighborhoods in Milwaukee.”

Zilber, who had been living in Hawaii in recent years, passed away at the Aurora Visiting Nurse Association Zilber Family Hospice after suffering from bouts of pneumonia.

In 2004, Zilber pledged $1 million to the funding of that hospice. Zilber later gave $1.5 million more to support the existing hospice and open and second.

In a 2007 interview with BizTimes Magazine, Zilber described loyalty to employees and a commitment to treating people right as one of his priorities in business. He also talked about his philanthropic efforts in the city.

“I’ve lived in Milwaukee practically all of my life, and I want to give something back to the city if I can,” he said.

A recent project Zilber undertook was the redevelopment of the Pabst Brewery, now named The Brewery, located on the northwest side of downtown Milwaukee.

Zilber bought much of the historic area in 2007, and resold it to accommodate apartments, retailers and office space.

“(Milwaukee) will be a great place — a great place to live, a great place to work and a great place for entertainment,” he told BizTimes.

After graduating from Washington High School, Zilber came to Marquette, where he met his late wife, Vera Feldman.

They married in 1942. The following year Zilber entered the Army and soon after returned to Milwaukee. Vera passed away in 2003.

Though graduating first in his class at Marquette’s Law School in 1941, Zilber was rejected for a job at a top law firm. But he soon found work for a Milwaukee real estate developer at $5-per-commission, which was the starting point to his career.

In 1949, he set out on his own and started Towne Realty, which grew and grew. The company built thousands of basic homes in Milwaukee to fill the need of returning GIs.

Towne expanded across the nation in the 1970s, and built apartments and student dormitories, among other high-priced projects.

Zilber is survived by daughters Marcy Jackson and Marilyn Zilber, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Zilber’s son James died in 1997.

Services are at 10 a.m. today in the Monaghan Ballroom of the Alumni Memorial Union. Interment will follow at Second Home Cemetery, 3705 S. 43rd St.

Contributions can be made to the endowment fund of the Zilber Family Hospice, care of the VNA.