WARREN ADLER, author of “War of the Roses” died April 15, 2019, at age 91 of complications from liver cancer. We did not learn of his passing until recently. He will be greatly missed by our Authorlink writing community.
Published in The Washington Post on Apr. 17, 2019
Warren Adler was the author of more than 50 novels including the iconic War of the Roses, which became synonymous with the description of a bad divorce; ironically he was happily married to his wife Sonia for more than 67 years. His other major works include Random Hearts (later a film starring Harrison Ford and Kristen Scott Thomas), The Sunset Gang (adapted into a musical starring Jerry Stiller, Uta Hagen, Harold Gould and Doris Roberts), Children of the Roses, Torture Man, Serpent’s Bite, Flanigan’s Dolls, Mourning Glory, Private Lies, Funny Boys, Madeline’s Miracles, Trans-Siberian Express and his Fiona Fitzgerald mystery series.
Adler’s themes stress intimate human relationships-the mysterious nature of love and attraction, the fragile relationships between husbands and wives, and parents and children, the corrupting power of money, the aging process, and how families cling together when challenged by the outside world.
He continued to work until his death, with several new projects in the works including the Broadway play of War of the Roses and multiple movies and TV shows based on his books that are being produced by his son Jonathan Adler.
A native New Yorker, Adler was born in Brooklyn and lived chapters of his life in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Manhattan, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A product of the New York public school system, Adler graduated from PS 91, Brooklyn Technical High School, and New York University, where he majored in English literature. He was inspired by his freshman English Professor Don Wolfe, with whom he later studied creative writing at the New School. There he also studied under Dr. Charles Glicksberg. Among his classmates were Mario Puzo, William Styron, and many other talented writers.
Prior to his success as a novelist, Adler had a distinguished career as an entrepreneur. He owned four radio stations and a TV station and founded and ran his own advertising and public relations agency in Washington. his firm Warren Adler Ltd. was responsible for advertising and PR campaigns for political candidates, businesses, and apartment and home communities. Among his clients was the Watergate complex, which Adler named himself. Adler was a consultant to the Nixon campaign in 1968 where his brief was the Jewish vote. He subsequently served as an adviser to the first Nixon administration. In addition to his wife, survivors include sons David Adler, Jonathan Adler, and Michael Adler, as well as daughter-in-laws Mary Adler and Lora Adler, and grandchildren Jacob, Lauren Adler, Emily Adler, Maddie Adler, Lucien Koefoed, Badger Koefoed, and Retha Koefoed. Graveside Funeral services were held on Thursday, April 18, 2019, at 1 p.m. at King David Memorial Gardens, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, 22042.
