Naperville Parking Lot Tycoon Joseph Feldman Dies at 84
The entrepreneur owned venues including the United Center and published a local newspaper for nearly four decades.
By Sakura Novak ·
Joseph Sidney Feldman, a Naperville resident and real estate developer, died at his home on Saturday, October 24. He was 84. Family members were present as he passed.
Feldman began his career in the parking industry at age ten, parking cars on vacant lots in Chicago’s South Side to help support his family. He attended St. Gabriel parish grade school and graduated from Leo High School. After marrying Mary Ellen Feldman in 1963, he worked day shifts at Central Steel and night shifts for the Chicago Sewer Department. He later bought the specific parking lots where he had started his labor.
His business portfolio expanded beyond parking to include ownership of major Chicago venues. He held interests in the International Amphitheater, Chicago Stadium, and the United Center. In 1982, he took over the Bridgeport News following his father’s death. He served as publisher until the paper stopped printing in 2020. Colleagues described him as a visionary who found value in overlooked properties, including buildings in Chicago and resorts in Florida.
Feldman lived in Naperville since 1975. He had previously resided in Chicago’s Canaryville and St. Bede’s parishes. He spent winters in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, and summers in Montello, Wisconsin. His family stated that his main business goal was to create opportunities for relatives and friends. He often worked directly with his children and grandchildren.
His wife, Mary Ellen, died earlier. They married on November 9, 1963, at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Chicago. The couple shared a 51-year marriage. Feldman is survived by six children: Joseph, Mary Carole, Margaret Ann, Colleen, Michaeline, and Timothy Michael. He also leaves behind numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family thanked caregivers Radka and Martina for helping in his home during his final four months.
A visitation will be held at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Naperville on Friday, October 30, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Aurora. Interment will follow at SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery in Naperville.
The family requests donations in lieu of flowers. Contributions can go to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Aurora or Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Sunny Isles Beach.
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