Murray Lender, Bagel Connoisseur Who Helped Build ‘Lender’s Bagels’ Empire, Dies at 81

Murray Lender, the man who helped turn his father’s small Connecticut bakery into a thriving national business and in the process made the bagel a household item for Americans, died Wednesday at the age of 81.

Lender’s wife, Gillie Lender, said he died at a hospital in Miami from complications from a fall he suffered 10 weeks ago.

Known for the household brand Lender’s Bagels Murray, along with his two brothers, changed the way Americans ate bagels, from the freezer.

Lender’s father, Harry Lender, founded Lender’s Bagels in New Haven in 1927. After Harry Lender died in 1960, his sons Murray and Sam ran the company and oversaw its expansion.

NBC writes that Murray, a business graduate, was in charge of marketing and sales for the small company and had innovating ideas with his little to no budget.

Known for creating life-sized bagels on Johnny Carson or handing out green bagels on St. Patrick’s Day his free advertising helped boost the company’s reputation along with advertising with more established brands like Smucker’s, Welches and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

According to the Lender’s Bagels website, it was in 1955 when “six bagels were put into a plastic bag, and for the first time, packaged bagels were sold in supermarkets.”

Last year, the company says, “more than 750 million bagels passed through our ovens.” Lender’s Bagels was sold to Kraft in 1984.

In addition to his wife, Murray also is survived by his daughter and son in law Haris Lender and Evan Cohn, sons Jay and Carl Lender, eight grandchildren, one brother, Marvin Lender, and nieces and nephews.

Murray Lender’s funeral is set for Sunday in Woodbridge, Connecticut, where he had a home.

via NBC Connecticut