Developer, Roger Rechler, dead.

Rechler Equity Partners announced the passing on March 13, 2008, of its managing partner Roger Rechler, at the age of 66 following a battle with lung Cancer.

A visionary real estate developer and generous philanthropist, Mr Rechler's professional and personal contributions helped shape the landscape of Long Island, and whose passion for the sport of purebred dogs led him to more than 300 championships.

Mr Rechler helped guide the development, ownership and operations of the largest commercial real estate portfolio on Long Island, comprised of 100 buildings totaling more than 6 million square feet of space.

Mr Rechler, with his father, the late William Rechler, and his brother, Donald Rechler, co-founded Reckson Associates in 1968. In a career marked with "firsts," Mr. Rechler and his family built the first-ever high-end "flex" industrial park, the first tilt-up big box industrial property, the first conversion of obsolete warehouse buildings into Class A office space, the first to employ computerized electric and HVAC building systems, and the first multi-tenant office buildings to offer shared amenities like health clubs and cafeterias. Reckson Associ ates was also an innovation: the first real estate company in the region to bring all the disciplines of development and ownership under one roof- from design and construction to leasing and management.

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Mr Reehler and his brother were joined in the business by their children in the 1980s, and grew their portfolio primarily through new development to 72 properties totaling 4.5 million square feet of space in Long Island and valued at $285 million before taking the company public as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in 1995. Over the next five years, they grew the REIT through acquisition and development to a portfolio of 25 million square feet throughout Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey and Manhattan valued at over $3.5 billion.

In 2003, Roger Rechler and his brother along with their sons, Mitchell and Gregg, returned to the family's roots in entrepreneurial real estate development. Forming Rechler Equity Partners, they bought back their original Long Island industrial portfolio from the REIT and have been building on it together every day since, to its current size of 100 buildings totaling 6 million square feet, making the company the largest property owner on Long Island. Rechler Equity Partners were recently awarded the development rights for 300 acres of high-tech industrial property in Calverton, NY for 2.5 million square feet of space at what will be called Enterprise Park of Calverton.

In addition to Mr Rechler's many accomplishments and leadership in real estate, he was also recognized as a towering figure in the sport of purebred dogs. Beginning with his friend, the legendary Long Island breeder of Afghan Hounds, Sunny Shay, Mr. Rechler embarked on a journey of breeding, showing and owning dogs that would result in his winning a record-breaking 300-plus Best in Show Awards. Mr Rechler and his wife, Evelyn, and his sons owned over 100 Grandeur champions, including one champion that achieved the ultimate distinction of being the number one show dog of all breeds in the United States in 1995 and a Westminster Kennel Club Group Winner.

A recipient of countless awards in the sport of purebred dogs, Mr. Rechler is well know for his philanthropic activities through his support of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC's DOGNY project, the Take the Lead charity, and the Ladies Kennel Association of America. He will forever be known for the foundations of family and friendships he built just as beautifully as his buildings. He is survived by his wife Evelyn, his brother Donald, his children Gregg and Lisa, Scott and Debby, Todd and Michelle, and Bill, and his grandchildren Wylie, Gabrielle, Elijah, Bailey and Logan. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that memorial donations in honor of Roger Rechler be sent to Dr Mark Kris Thoracic Research Fund, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10016.