Arnold Serchuk

Arnold Serchuk passed away peacefully on September 16, 2026, at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey. He was 93 years old, and he was surrounded by his family.

He was a beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and friend – he was a patriot who loved his country.

Arnold was a father to Stuart Serchuk, Barbara Serchuk, Sharon (Serchuk) Rosano married to Richard Rosano, and David Serchuk married to Randi Skaggs, all of whom survive him. He was a grandfather to Sophia and Samantha, (Sharon’s children), and Stella and Sam, (David’s children). He was also a beloved uncle, survived by many nieces and nephews, and to many he was their favorite uncle—a role he took seriously. He also remained closely connected with his many close and distant cousins.

Arnold was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 4, 1932. He was a first-generation Jewish American whose parents, Schmiya (father) and Yetta (mother), emigrated to the U.S. in 1923 from Ukraine. He grew up in the tough neighborhood of Ocean Hill Brownsville, Brooklyn, during the Depression. That upbringing made him tough, but never hard to know – he was incredibly outgoing and friendly. He grew up in a close-knit Jewish neighborhood surrounded by family and friends. His first language was Yiddish, which he spoke fluently, and often peppered his conversation with it throughout his life. The youngest of four children, he survived all his siblings.

He may have been small in physical stature, but he was a larger-than-life presence who left an impression on everyone he met. Even at 93, he was still modeling the art of living well, driving to work to his Beta building in Carlstadt, New Jersey, traveling to his Florida home, staying curious and connected, and always remaining that strong Brooklyn guy.

Arnold treasured his childhood summers he spent at the bungalow colony in Accord, New York, where he made lifelong friends. He would often revisit these fond memories, and he would travel back there yearly to swim in “The Creek”, which he called the Fountain of Youth.

To reminisce about Arnold Serchuk would not be complete without mentioning his life’s work: the creation of Beta Screen Corporation, later Beta Industries. “Beta,” as it was commonly called, became a very successful company within the graphics arts printing industry, and had a considerable heyday that lasted several decades. Arnold started with almost nothing other than his drive and his talent, beginning as a one- man shop making "screen tints” which was a consumable photographic product for the printing industry, and then going door to door to sell them. First starting out in New York’s Bowery area, before moving to Fairview, New Jersey, and eventually to Carlstadt, New Jersey. Within a decade, Beta had become a thriving business that would come to employ dozens of people between New Jersey and California.

Arnold was not only the company’s leader; he was a mentor, surrogate father, and steady source of support to many of his dedicated employees. To his family, Beta’s heyday felt like a mini United Nations, with people from many backgrounds and countries working side by side. He also built deep friendships, spending countless hours with industry friends at trade shows around the world.

Arnold was a lifelong, largely self-taught learner—always interested in the economy, politics, and technology, and many other fields. He was naturally very mechanical, and he was charming, smart, and funny. He held several patents, designed every part of his uniquely styled home, including its HVAC system, taught himself German, and created the screen tint process that built his company.

His hobbies and interests included photography, philosophy, writing, solar power, boating, politics, history, exercise, diet and health, and current events were among many of his interests -- he often wrote about his views on life and society and shared these views with his friends and associates.

Most of all, Arnold was about people. He loved to kibitz, tell great jokes, stories, and anecdotes, and be with people. He was a true raconteur who could be hilarious and opinionated, with strongly held views about current events and an almost Talmudic ability to argue fine points. You might not agree with him, and you could even argue heatedly with him, but he never held a grudge. Deep conversation, debate, laughter, and connections with family and friends were part of what kept him young.

He was a renaissance man—always evolving and still learning. He had a real joy of life and loved to make parties and entertain, whether it was a large celebration or a small gathering, regularly bringing family and friends together. Almost any time family and friends came together, Arnold called it a party. He cherished sharing meals, stories, and laughter with his family and friends. Everyone who spent time with him seemed to walk away with a long-lasting impression, saying how smart and remarkable he was—and he truly was.

He approached life with strength, humor, discipline, curiosity, and heart. But in the end, what defined Arnold the most was his close relationships with so many.

Everyone who met him remembered him; he simply had that kind of effect on people. He treated his friends like family, his family like friends, and he was truly beloved by so many.

There will never be another like him, he is irreplaceable. May his memory be a blessing.