Joel Coler, 85, a long-time former VP of advertising and publicity for 20th Century Fox International, died at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Campus on March 13 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Coler, a popular executive with a legacy of successful publicity campaigns and worldwide friendships, was born in the Bronx N.Y. and was a lifelong member of the Bronx Boys, a close group of friends who met at P.S. 80 in the late 1930s. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1953 with a B.A. Degree in Journalism and Sociology. From 1953-1955 he served in the U.S. Air Force and earned the rank of Captain while stationed in Ulm, Germany. After his discharge he joined the NBC network as an advertising assistant, which led to a position as assistant account executive with Grey Advertising.
In 1964 he took a job as Director, International Advertising and Publicity for 20th Century Fox, ultimately moving to Los Angeles with More