40 North Shore Towers Courier n March 2015 JACK BY STEPHEN VRATTOS To visit NST resident Jack Adler’s apartment, one would think he’d spent a life as an artist—paintings, sculpture, woodwork, even stained glass, festoon his home, literally covering the walls and every flat surface. But Jack spent most of his life selling staplers! He began working for the famous Swingline Staplers when the company predominantly manufactured the desktop variety. Soon after Jack’s arrival, the company began dabbling in industrial strength staplers, pneumatic machines of the sort used in professional upholstery. It wasn’t long before the company decided to return its attention to the smaller models, for which it became famous. Jack, however, swung out on his own, starting his own business— Independent Industrial Sales—selling heavy duty staplers, nailers, any sort of industrial-grade fasteners. Although he’d taken art lessons 75 years ago, Jack the artist didn’t emerge until about twenty years ago and really blossomed only after the loss of his wife of 63 years thirteen years later. In the seven years following his tragic loss, Jack, has created more than 250 pieces of art. Primarily watercolor, Jack’s work includes acrylics, pastels, sculpture, woodworking, stained glass and welded work. “I firmly believe, if you don’t use it, you lose it,” he says. “The mind cultivates the body and the body cultivates the mind. “You get old fast, but if you don’t do anything, you get older faster!” At 93, Jack is a testament to this. He works out every day and up until this past November was an avid bowler for half a century until a pulled ligament in his rotator cuff ended his time on the lanes. But it hasn’t stopped Jack who in recent years has also taken up the electric keyboard! Much of Jack’s work are homages, his take on classic works of art. One of his few original pieces is of his wife, which he did immediately after her passing. He loves the Impressionists, with Israeli artist, Itzchak Torkay, being a favorite. He’s even done a version of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream.” Says Jack with a laugh, “I figure if his sold for twenty million, I’ll sell mine at only a million!” of ALL Trades
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