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Stanley Chair co-founder Burton Osiason dies at 89
TAMPA, Fla. — Burton Osiason, originally of Fall River, Mass., died Aug. 17 at the age of 89. In 1949 with his father and two brothers, Elliott and Kenneth, Osiason founded upholstered furniture...
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Former DirectBuy executive Jack Gagan dies at 64
CHICAGO — Jack Lawrence Gagan, longtime DirectBuy executive, died Aug. 26 at age 64. Gagan was born March 15, 1955, and was a 1973 graduate of Andrean High School. He later graduated from Purdue...
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Charles Parker, chairman of Johnson City Bedding, dies at 100
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Charles E. Parker, chairman of Johnson City Bedding Co. here, died recently. He was 100. His career in the bedding industry started in 1953 when the CPA firm that he worked for...
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Furniture manufacturer Warren Riggan dies at 81
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Warren Wayne Riggan, veteran furniture manufacturer, died Sept. 9 at age 81. Born on June 28, 1938, Riggan attended the University of Richmond where he earned a master’s degree in...
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Veteran furniture retailer, Frank Davis, dies at 81
BURLESON, Texas — Frank Arthur Davis, 81, passed away on Sept. 19. Davis spent his career in furniture merchandising, working for Montgomery Wards, Wicks Furniture, Rhodes Furniture and Levitz...
View ArticleIndustry veteran Calvin Raney dies at 91
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Calvin Duane Raney died Sept. 19 at the age of 91. Raney was born in Westboro, Mo., on April 15, 1928, to Milford and Cecil Raney. Initially starting his career in the grocery store...
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Industry veteran Frank Hanshaw dies at 88
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Industry veteran Frank E. Hanshaw Jr., died Aug. 30 at St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was 88. Born March 20, 1931, to Frank and Elizabeth Hanshaw, he attended Kentucky Military...
View ArticleFormer Lane executive Donald Tucker passes away
ALTAVISTA, Va. – Former Lane executive Donald Henry Tucker died Oct. 1 at Runk and Pratt Liberty Ridge Assisted Living. He was 87. Tucker was born June 19, 1932, in Campbell County, Va., and was a son...
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C.S. Wo founder Bob Wo dies
HONOLULU — C.S. Wo & Sons’ Robert Ching Wo passed away at his home here Sept. 13. He was the CEO and chairman of the retailer from 1946 until he retired in 2017, which includes C.S. Wo & Sons,...
View ArticleDIA Furniture owner, Neil Frindel dies at 70
ANCHORAGE, Ky. — Neil D. Frindel, owner of DIA Furniture Co., died Aug. 29 at Episcopal Church Home. He was born Jan. 1, 1949, in New York to Edward and Helen Frindel. Frindel founded Design Institute...
View ArticleRick Vaughn dies at 75
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Longtime furniture executive Richard “Rick” Vaughn died Oct. 4 at age 75. Vaughn was born June 5, 1944, in Detroit to Richard E. Vaughn and Betty Biggers Vaughn. After graduating...
View ArticleFabric and furniture industry veteran Burton H. Kaplan dies
NAPLES, Fla. — Longtime fabric and furniture industry veteran Burton H. Kaplan died Oct. 15. Kaplan’s career began at Futorian as a salesman and then at Rowe Furniture as vice president. In 1985, he...
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Retired Furniture Today columnist, Michael Greene, dies at 98
SOMERS, N.Y. — Michael Greene, one of the early columnists writing for Furniture Today, passed away last week. He was 98. Earning his bachelor degree at Hofstra University at the age of 48, Greene...
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Hooker Furniture sales rep, Richie Weisglass, dies Oct. 30
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Richard “Richie” Weisglass, 85, a New York-based sales representative for Hooker Furniture for more than 60 years, died on Oct. 30. Born June 30, 1934, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Weisglass...
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Mathis Brothers co-founder, Bud Mathis, dies at 86
TULSA, Okla. — Charles H. “Bud” Mathis, one of the founders of the Mathis Brothers Furniture, died on Monday, Nov. 11, following a lengthy illness. Mathis was born in Elk City, Okla., on Oct. 13, 1933,...
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Stanford Furniture founder, Randy Short, dies
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ralph “Randy” Hemperley Short Jr. passed away peacefully on Dec. 5 from heart complications. Born and raised in Charlotte, Short attended Myers Park High School where he quarterbacked...
View ArticleJ. Harper Beall III, former Fairfield Chair president, dies
LENOIR, N.C. – Former Fairfield Chair Co. President J. Harper Beall III passed away on Dec. 13 at age 77. Beall was born in Lenoir on March 14, 1942. He graduated from Lenoir High School and started...
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Elliot Schewel of Schewel’s Furniture dies at 95
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Elliot Schewel, who worked in the Schewel Furniture Company family business for more than 50 years, died Dec. 15, 2019, at the age of 95. Born in Lynchburg, Va., on June 20, 1924, he...
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Longtime Fowler Brothers leader Dick Fowler dies at 79
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Richard “Dick” Fowler Jr., who led the family-owned Fowler Brothers Furniture as president for more than 35 years, died Dec. 24. He was 79. A native of Chattanooga, Fowler attended...
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City Mattress founder Jay Schiller dies at 81
NAPLES, Fla. — Founder of City Mattress in western New York, Jerome (Jay) Schiller, died in his home Jan. 5 after a brief illness. He was 81. Schiller was born April 28, 1938, in Buffalo, N.Y., to...
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