James Rodney Anixter—the mensch in the pink hat—dies at 81

James Anixter with his wife, Lesley, and daughter, Courtney, and her sons, Watts and Stiles.

Chicago businessman and philanthropist James Rodney Anixter had a funeral that he would have loved to have attended, those who knew him say. Gregarious and fun-loving with a gift for gab and a generous spirit that touched the lives of friends and strangers alike, Anixter died on June 30, at 81. 

His memorial service at Am Shalom, his family’s congregation for well over four decades, was almost like attending a Cubs game. The synagogue’s bimah (pulpit) was festooned with Cubs jerseys and banners. Many of the hundreds of mourners who crowded into the sanctuary wore his signature pink baseball cap. The service kicked off with “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and attendees rose not only for kaddish, but also for a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” 

All of this was fitting for Anixter, dubbed “The Pink Hat Guy,” so named because he could be seen for decades behind home plate at Wrigley Field with his pink hat and a green shirt. Perhaps Chicago’s number-one Cubs fanatic, he rarely missed a home game in more than 60 years. He would joke that he wore the bright colors so that his wife of 55 years, Lesley Bass Anixter, could readily spot him on television and see that he wasn’t up to any extracurricular activities. 

The man who loved baseball did not live by the Cubbies alone. A successful entrepreneur, he was Executive Vice President of Anixter Brothers, his family’s wire and cable company, before founding AZ Wire and Cable, a nationwide business, more than 35 years ago. 

Work was always important, his family said, but it was minor-league compared to what Anixter viewed as the absolute grand slam in his life: his wife, four children, and eight grandchildren. 

Anixter’s father and mother were serious-minded people, Eric Anixter, one of his sons, observed of his paternal grandparents; Anixter wanted to be the opposite: Warmhearted, demonstrative, and involved in his children’s and grandchildren’s lives. 

“He gave us a voice,” Eric Anixter said, “and he made sure that my siblings and I never stayed angry with each other. One of his rules, when my brothers, sister, and I were fighting, was that we had to make up before going to bed at night.” 

Anixter raised his family in Highland Park, where he himself had also grown up, and he remained loyal to the community throughout his life. He never lived more than two miles from his boyhood home, with two exceptions: his three and a half years at the University of Iowa, which he attended following graduation from Highland Park High School; and his service in the United States Coast Guard, of which he was very proud.  

The friends he made during his school days remained so throughout his entire life. He continued to make friends with people from every walk of life, from the peanut vendor at Wrigley Field, whom he helped find steady employment during the off-season, to his barbers. 

“He had kindness for everyone,” Eric Anixter said. “He had the biggest heart in the world. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.” 

Anixter’s generosity extended in significant ways to the Jewish community, where he was a major donor to JUF, Am Shalom, and many other Jewish organizations. 

“He loved everything about being Jewish—the closeness, the family-ness,” Eric Anixter said.  

“He loved the heritage. It was part of his identity.” 

In addition to his immediate family, Anixter is survived by his cousin, Jeffrey Annenberg, who was like a brother to him. 

Robert Nagler Miller is a journalist and editor who writes frequently about arts and Jewish-related topics from his home in New York.