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Former Art Van upholstery buyer, Nancy Christiansen, dies at 66
WALLED LAKE, Mich. — Nancy Ann Christiansen died on Nov. 11 after a long illness. She was 66 years old. She was born on May 30, 1955, to Harold and Patricia Christiansen in Buffalo, N.Y. The family...
View ArticleIndustry rep Fred Jacobs dies at 79
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Longtime furniture industry sales representative Frederick “Fred” Paul Jacobs died Oct. 21 at the age of 79. Jacobs was born April 3, 1942, to Max and Beatrice Jacobs. He graduated...
View ArticleFurniture designer Millard Fillmore Harty dies at 92
DOVER, N.H. — Millard Fillmore Harty died on the morning of his 92nd birthday, on Oct. 11 at Watson Fields Assisted Living Community in Dover. Harty earned a degree in industrial design from Pratt...
View ArticleIndustry sales rep, Richard ‘Whip’ Wilson, dies at 83
MARLTON, N.J. — Richard N. “Whip” Wilson died Nov. 21 at the age of 83. Wilson was a sales representative for Winners Only for more than 20 years. Born Nov. 9, 1938, Wilson was a 1957 graduate of...
View ArticleFranklin Furniture Institute director, Bill Martin, dies
AUBURN, Ala. — Longtime director of the Franklin Furniture Institute, William “Bill” Martin, died unexpectedly earlier this month. Martin served as director of the Mississippi State University...
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Veteran industry rep Carl Brinson Jr. dies at 92
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — Carl Mortimer Brinson Jr. passed away on Dec. 10. He was 92. Born on December 5, 1929, in Jacksonville, Fla., Brinson graduated from North Augusta High School in Augusta, Ga.,...
View ArticleLuxury-brand furniture designer John Black dies at 71
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Furniture designer John E. Black, age 71, died at his home Dec. 17 after a long battle with cancer. Black was born in Morganton, N.C., on June 1, 1950, the son of Fred and Martha...
View ArticleIndependent sales rep Marty Berkowitz dies at 63
STONINGTON, Conn. — Martin J. Berkowitz, 63, passed away Sunday, Jan. 2, after a courageous battle with ALS. Born Aug. 8, 1958, in New Rochelle, N.Y., and raised in Commack, N.Y., Berkowitz is the son...
View ArticleVeteran AICO sales rep, Lew Nick, dies
PICO RIVERA, Calif. — Veteran AICO sales representative Lew Nick passed away on Jan. 5 at his residence. He was a sales representative with the company for more than 26 years. “His sense of humor was...
View ArticleCrest Furniture founder and CEO Simon Kaplan dies
DAYTON, N.J. — Simon Kaplan, 97, who founded Top 100 retailer Crest Furniture in 1970, died on Jan. 12. Kaplan, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, founded the New Jersey-based furniture...
View ArticleRegency Furniture’s Tim Connors passes at 66
BRANDYWINE, Md. – Tim Connors, merchandise manager at Regency Furniture, passed away on Jan. 18. He was 66. Connors was a furniture industry and retail veteran, beginning his career at Levitz in 1983....
View ArticleStephen Chen, Mlily USA president, dies at 59
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Stephen Chen, president of mattress and sleep products supplier Mlily USA, died Jan. 21 following a brief illness. He was 59. Remembered as a proud father, car fanatic, go-to...
View ArticleRetired Decorating Den exec Joanne North dies at 66
EASTON, Md. — Joanne North, retired senior vice president of Decorating Den Interiors, died Jan. 20 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 66. North joined Decorating Den Interiors in 1977...
View ArticleIndustry veteran Dick Howard dies at 84
DALLAS — Industry veteran Richard (Dick) Howard died Jan. 27 at the age of 84. Born in Chicago, Howard played basketball at Southern Illinois University and went on to coach at Saint Ann High School in...
View ArticleIn memory of Simon Kaplan, chairman and CEO of Crest Furniture
A man remembered as one who was a great motivator, who spent time on the development of his people, Simon Kaplan worked and lived his passion every day for the Dayton, N.J.-based Crest Furniture and...
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Furniture industry icon Gene Rosenberg passes
ENFIELD, Conn. – Gene Rosenberg, founder and chairman of the board of Planned Furniture Promotions and co-founder of Bob’s Discount Furniture, has died after a brief battle with cancer. He passed away...
View ArticleDesigner Timothy Oulton dies
HONG KONG — Timothy Oulton, CEO of Halo and founder and CEO of Timothy Oulton, died March 3. Oulton got his start in 1976 in a small antiques shop owned by his father. In 1990, he took the helm at Halo...
View ArticleRetailer Larry Hickman dies at 73
ELK RIVER, Minn. — Long-time retailer and entrepreneur Larry Steven Hickman died Dec. 23, 2021, at the age of 73 after a long battle with cancer. Hickman started his career with Kinney Shoes. In 1979,...
View ArticleVeteran furniture representative Sal Demarco passes at 77
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Sales representative Sal DeMarco died March 13 at age 77. Covering the metro New York/New Jersey area, DeMarco’s career spanned nearly 50 years, representing companies including...
View ArticleFurniture retailer Jimmy Blocker dies at 92
OCALA, Fla. — E.L. “Jimmy” Blocker, chairman of Blocker’s Furniture in Ocala, Fla., died Feb. 24 at the age of 92. Blocker was born on July 3, 1929, to Edgar and Marion Blocker. Blocker was the second...
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