Ari Deshe's Obituary
Ari Deshe ארי בן אליעזר
June 9, 1950 – April 6, 2026
It is with deep love and sadness that we announce the passing of Ari Deshe, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and cherished member of his communities in Tel Aviv, Israel; Columbus, Ohio; Aspen, Colorado; and Miami Beach, Florida.
Born in Tel Aviv to parents Yafa & Eliezer Deshe, Ari grew up with a strong sense of family, resilience, and purpose that would guide him throughout his life.
At 23, Ari was called upon to serve in the Yom Kippur War, reporting to the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade and leading a platoon of 16 soldiers as part of the force sent to the Sinai under Ariel Sharon’s division. He and his unit crossed the Suez Canal, endured days of intense combat and bombardment, and played a critical role in surrounding the Egyptian army—an effort that helped bring about the ceasefire—while miraculously sustaining no losses within his own platoon.
After his time in the IDF, Ari worked briefly for El Al Airlines as a sky marshal. Through an army buddy’s chance encounter with the actor Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle), Ari enrolled at the University of Alabama where he studied insurance under Professor John Bickley and graduated with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in only three years.
A gifted pianist with the ability to play music by ear, Ari worked at Joe Namath’s restaurant Bachelors Three in Tuscaloosa, AL to help support himself through college. Upon graduation, he began his career in the insurance industry at General Re in New York City. Within months of living in New York, on November 11, 1978, while riding the elevator in his building, he met Ann Beth Schottenstein, the woman
who would become the center of his universe and love of his life. They were married in Columbus, Ohio, on September 2, 1979, and subsequently welcomed the birth of their four children in the following eight years. Ari and Ann raised their children in Bexley, Ohio, where he lived and worked until his retirement and eventual move to Bal Harbour, Florida.
Professionally, Ari was a visionary and hardworking entrepreneur who built SafeAuto Insurance Company alongside his co-founder, best friend, and brother-in-law, Jon Diamond, into a successful and widely respected enterprise. In recognition of his leadership and innovation, he was honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Under his leadership, SafeAuto grew into a national company
serving millions of drivers before it was acquired by Allstate in 2021. Jon Diamond said, “Working side by side with Ari was the greatest privilege of my life. I had a close-up view of a man with enormous integrity. He was respected by all who knew him.”
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ari was known for his generous spirit and dedication to giving back. He quietly supported numerous causes and, perhaps more importantly, was always the first to lend a hand to a friend in need. Ari was guided by a deep sense of responsibility to help others and strengthen his community, whether in Israel, Columbus, Aspen, or Miami.
Ari, alongside his wife Ann, was a deeply committed philanthropist and leader whose generosity focused on education, medical research, and the Jewish communities across the United States and Israel. Over the course of his life, he served in leadership roles at many of these organizations and enjoyed spending his post-retirement years focused on this philanthropic work.
Through the Ann and Ari Deshe Foundation and his personal giving, he supported organizations including the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital at The Ohio State University (former Board Member), the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business and Bloom Hillel Student Center, EB Research Partnership (where he served as Co-Chairman), Friends of the IDF (former President of the Miami Chapter), Make-a-wish Foundation, Children’s Hospital of Columbus, Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Magen David Adom, Mount Sinai Hospital, Israel Tennis Centers, Jewish National Fund, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, National MS Society, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Moishe House, JAFCO (Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options), Jewish Colorado, WIZO, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, JAS Aspen, Chabad Jewish Center of Aspen, OneFamily, Galilee Medical Center and his beloved synagogue the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center. His most recent gifts through FIDF were adopting the Beduin Gadsar 585 Platoon and donating a synagogue to the Tikshuv base. He had planned to take his entire family to Israel to make the synagogue dedication together in June.
Ann and Ari participated in the greater families’ major philanthropic initiatives, including the naming of The Jerome Schottenstein Center at Ohio State University, Art Scroll’s Schottenstein Edition Talmud project, and The Western Wall Heritage Foundation. Ari & Ann’s other transformative gifts included funding scholarships and academic facilities, advancing groundbreaking medical research for Epidermolysis
Bullosa, a rare genetic skin condition that he and members of his family inherited, and strengthening Jewish and Israeli institutions worldwide, quietly impacting countless lives over more than 40 years of giving.
Outside of his work, he found immense joy in all of his interests, especially playing the piano and skiing with his family in Colorado. But nothing brought him greater happiness than time spent surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren. Whether at family gatherings, celebrations, or simple everyday moments, he was happiest when everyone was together.
Ari passed away the morning of April 6, 2026, at Mount Sinai Hospital, after many decades fighting his hereditary heart disease.
Ari will be remembered for his wisdom, warmth, trademark sense of humor, and his unwavering love for his family. Ari is survived by his wife Ann Deshe, his children and grandchildren, Elie & Julia Deshe (Bowie, Bella, Romi), David & Danielle Deshe (Sophia, Alexandra), Dara Deshe & Sharyar Aziz (Miles, William), and Daniel & Lakeyn Deshe (Delilah). He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Daniela & Yoram Benary, and brother- and sister-in-laws Jay & Jeanie Schottenstein, Susan & Jon
Diamond, Lori Schottenstein, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, April 10, at 10am at 8755 Northwest 36th St. Miami, FL 33178 followed by burial at Lakeside Memorial Park, 10301 NW 25th St. Miami, FL 33172. Shiva observance will follow in a private residence in Bal Harbour.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to FIDF, EB Research Partnership, or the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center in his memory.
May his memory be a blessing.
יהי זכרו ברוך
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