Frederick A. Erb, noted philanthropist and generous supporter of the School of Natural Resources and Environment, died Jan. 10. He was 89.  Mr. Erb started with a single coal and lumber store and grew it into a multi-state enterprise.  He later become synonymous with business sustainability at the University of Michigan and nationally.

Mr. Erb and his wife established the Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at U-M, from where he earned a business degree in 1947. This innovative graduate program between the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business is nationally known for the talents and accomplishments of its students, its research output, and its leadership on issues related to the convergence of the environment and business.

The Erb Environmental Management Institute, as it was called in June 1996 when established by the Erbs with a $5 million donation, was the first organization of its kind. It was designed to serve as a catalyst for innovation at the business-environment interface.  By making the gift, Mr. Erb hoped to make the world a better place for his grandchildren's grandchildren.

“Mr. Erb’s vision for finding synergies between the environment and business interests was truly visionary, as well as transformative for the School of Natural Resources and Environment,” said Marie Lynn Miranda, professor and dean of the school. “The commitment of the Erbs has fostered a new generation of leaders committed to sustaining our planet.”

Thanks to their vision, more than 400 M.S./M.B.A. students have benefitted from generous scholarships, dedicated staff, faculty support, specialized courses, action-based learning projects, interaction with sustainability innovators in business and academia, leading speakers and cutting-edge conferences.  In the words of their son, John, these students and alumni are the standing legacy of Fred and Barbara’s gift.

In addition to his wife, Barbara, Mr. Erb is survived by his son Rick Erb of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; daughters Wendy Elaine Erb of Vail, Colo. and Leslie Erb Liedtke of Denver, Colo.; and son, John Erb  and his wife Debbie of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; four grandchildren Mimi, Lark, and J. Hugh Liedtke of Denver and Elizabeth Erb of Bloomfield Hills; and younger brother George Erb and his wife Barbara of Wilson, Wyo. He was preceded in death by sisters Marjorie Mouw and Jane VanDusen.

Memorial services are Saturday, Jan. 19, at 11 a.m.  at Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church Rd., Bloomfield Hills. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Christ Church Cranbrook.

Read the obituary

Read a memorial at the Erb Institute site

About Fred and Barbara Erb (from the Erb Foundation website)

Both Fred and Barbara Erb were born and raised in the Detroit area, where they raised their four children, developed the family business, and have decided to focus their philanthropic legacy.

The day after receiving his BBA degree from the University of Michigan in 1947, Fred bought into his uncle’s lumber and coal business in Royal Oak, Michigan. At that time, the Erb Lumber Company had one store, seven employees, and revenues approaching $170,000. Fred developed the company into a multi-state enterprise, covering 45 locations with 1,300 employees and generating $280 million in sales, before he sold it in 1993. Ever the savvy entrepreneur, Fred didn’t stop there, but continued to develop multiple successful real estate and investment partnerships.

Fred and Barbara brought the same energy and acumen to their philanthropy. Their first major gift, in 1951, was to help establish a camp for troubled children in northern Oakland County, Michigan. Not only did Fred pledge an amount equal to his annual income (at that time $5,000), he and Barbara challenged their business associates, friends and neighbors to give as well, until they had raised gifts totaling more than four times that amount. Motivating and partnering with others became a hallmark of their philanthropy.

In 1996, they made their first major gift to the University of Michigan, with subsequent gifts eventually totaling $20 million, to establish the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. With their concern for a sustainable future, it is not surprising that in 2007 they established a family foundation to institutionalize and perpetuate their philanthropy.