Well into his 80s, Harry Lerner was still using his electric moped to scoot around Minneapolis, the city he loved and only occasionally left.

Lerner, 93, died April 8, surrounded by his family. He was born in north Minneapolis and spent his entire professional life within a 1-mile radius of downtown — beginning with a job at a grocery/liquor store on Nicollet Island and ending at Lerner Publishing Group's headquarters at 1st and Washington avenues N. He still drove there to work almost every day as recently as last month.

"He knew this city. That area, especially, was such a big part of his life," said Harry's son Adam, CEO and publisher of Lerner, the largest independent publisher in a city whose literary footprint also includes numerous small presses.

The company grew from a book Harry wrote while he was in the Army in the 1950s, a guide to purchasing cars. When he returned home from Germany, where he was stationed, a trip to the doctor sparked a million-dollar idea.

"After he was discharged, he was in a doctor's office waiting room and he saw that kids were playing around, with nothing to keep them occupied, so he had the idea: 'I'm going to publish books to sell to doctors' offices, to keep kids occupied.' It was really as simple as that," said Adam.

Having expanded significantly in the years since its 1959 founding, Lerner Publishing Group quietly became an "education book juggernaut‚" still specializing in literature for young people. Its hundreds of titles have won multiple awards, including Elana K. Arnold's 2017 National Book Award finalist for "What Girls Are Made Of" and a 2022 Caldecott Honor for "Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre," by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper.

"My dad had a big presence, charisma. I think he was in a way unstoppable," said Adam, who said his best advice from his father included simple things such as "taking people out to lunch is always a good investment," especially at favorites such as the Monte Carlo and Christos Greek Restaurant. "When he wanted to do something, he never really backed down."

That's why Harry, even in hospice care, remained eager to hear Adam's telephone updates from the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy this month. And why, according to employees, Harry managed to make his workers feel like part of the Lerner family.

"He was very committed to the people around him, to our employees, our books, our partners, our authors. Founders of companies, people say their personality becomes intertwined with their business and that was really the case with my dad," said Adam, who has two sons who now work at Lerner.

Harry's personality — especially his infectious "confidence and optimism" — will be his legacy at Lerner, said Adam.

"It's the third generation working in the business now," said Adam, whose father was active in the DFL Party and devoted to his loved ones. "It's a family business. That will carry on. My dad set an amazing example."

Lerner is survived by his wife, Sandy Davis; as well as his children, Adam Lerner, Mia Posada, Danny Lerner and Leah Ophir; and nine grandchildren.