The housewares world mourned the loss of several industry leaders during 2016. Here’s a look at some of those whose passing was reported by HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®.
Robert Alderson, 70, board member and former long-time chief executive officer of Kirkland’s, passed November 22. Alderson had been a director of Kirkland’s since 1986 and served as the CEO two separate times between 2001 and 2015. He had also served in numerous roles for Kirkland’s since joining the company in 1986, including president, chief operating officer, chief administrative officer, svp and vp. He was a driving force behind the company’s transformation from a regional retailer to a national chain.
Larry Azar, 60, svp/divisional merchandise manager for Kohl’s, passed on June 12. Azar had a long retail career, serving with Toys R Us, Macy’s and Target in various executive and merchandising roles.
Renato Bialetti, 93, passed on February 11. The son of Alfonso Bialetti, who founded the company in 1919, Renato Bialetti is credited with launching the successful marketing campaign behind the iconic Bialetti Moka Express coffee pot in the 1940s, which included the now-famous illustration that appears on the pots— a little man with a mustache— which was based on a caricature of himself.
Judy Colitz, 67, International Housewares Association membership services veteran, passed on January 26. Colitz joined the IHA in 1993 and most recently served as IHA’s manager of special events and executive services. She was well-known in the industry for her work with the Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) since its founding in 1997, IHA’s Chief Officers Reaching Excellence (CORE) share groups, the Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS) and the government affairs committee, as well as events such as the Global Innovation Awards (gia) at the International Home + Housewares Show.
“Judy’s contributions to IHA and the Housewares Charity Foundation can never be truly measured, and she will be greatly missed,” said Phil Brandl, IHA’s president and CEO. “During her 22 years at IHA, she touched many lives through her work with the HCF and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, CORE, CHESS and the other member services she administered. We have lost a devoted colleague and friend.”
Susan Corwin Miller, 76, former manager of the GLM-owned Gourmet Housewares Show, passed on July 28. As Gourmet Housewares Show manager from 1987 until 2008, Corwin Miller was responsible for management, marketing and operations for the annual event. She oversaw the show’s relocation from its home in San Francisco to interim venues in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Former GLM principal George F. (Jeff) Little, II, said, “When GLM bought Susan’s former employer, National Fairs, she managed the transition to a new and different corporate culture with professionalism and effective leadership. She always embraced the GLM mantra that staying close to the customer is the secret to business success. Susan was known and respected by virtually everyone in the gourmet products industry, and she was a mentor to many young people in the exhibition industry. Her personal approach to business relationships created hundreds of friends for her and GLM.”
Dorothy Belshaw, president of gift and home décor for International Market Centers and former svp at GLM, added, “Susan taught me that managing a trade show is more than drayage, floor plans and booth signs. It’s about immersion in and passion for the industry you serve. And Susan had both.”
Tom Coughlin, 66, passed on April 1. He joined Walmart in 1978, and helped lead the retailer through a period of substantial growth, eventually rising to several senior roles, such as U.S. retail division president and vice chairman. Coughlin resigned in 2005 following an internal investigation into misappropriation of company funds.
Patrick Dinley, 76, passed on December 10. Dinley joined shaver manufacturer Norelco in 1977 as a regional sales manager, moving through the ranks to vp/sales in 1981 before being named president and CEO in 1991 of the organization that became known as Philips Domestic Appliance & Personal Care. Dinley in 2000 received a Lifetime Humanitarian Award from the Housewares Charity Foundation for his humanitarian efforts and exceptional leadership. He retired from the housewares industry in 2002.
Stanley Gault, 90, passed on June 29. After a long career with General Electric, Gault served as chairman and CEO of Rubbermaid from 1981 to 1991, and was credited with significantly growing sales and diversifying product lines.
Henry Greenberg, 89, passed on May 31. Greenberg, a long-time Macy’s executive, is credited with developing the one-day sale concept.
Mark Handler, 83, passed on July 16. A longtime retailing executive with Macy’s, Handler joined the company in 1958, eventually becoming president and COO in 1980, and then briefly co-chairman and co-CEO with Myron Ullman in 1992.
Ralph Ketner, 95, who co-founded the supermarket that became Food Lion in 1957, passed on May 29. Food Lion is now owned by Delhaize, which has since merged with Ahold.
Ron Loveless, 73, passed on October 17. Loveless was the first CEO of Sam’s Club, and led the warehouse club’s growth. He retired in 1986. Loveless also authored Walmart Inside Out: From Stockboy to Stockholder, which detailed his rise in the company and the retailer’s corporate culture.
Gillis Lundgren, 86, passed on February 25. Lundgren designed more than 200 pieces of furniture for Ikea, where he began working in 1953, according to published reports. His designs include the Billy bookcase, which has sold more than 41 million pieces since 1979. Along with Ikea’s founder, Lundgren is also credited with pioneering flat pack, self assembling furniture designs, paving the way for how RTA furniture is designed and delivered.
Dick McCoy, 63, passed on March 11. McCoy was the second generation owner of Orme Do It Best Hardware, with seven locations throughout southeastern Ohio. He was also a member of Do It Best’s board of directors.
Jack Rudin, 92, chairman of the New York-based real estate company Rudin Management Company and owners of Forty One Madison— home to the biannual New York Tabletop Market— passed December 4.
Don Soderquist, 82, passed on July 21. Soderquist joined Walmart in 1980 as evp/administrative and logistics and eventually served as COO and vice chairman from 1988 until 1999. During his tenure, the company’s revenue increased from $1 billion to more than $200 billion. He retired in 2002. He went on to found the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics, an executive training firm, and wrote The Walmart Way, which discussed how to apply Walmart’s success to lives and careers.
Richard Swain, 83, passed June 29. He founded and was president of Valu Merchandisers, a general merchandise supplier for supermarkets and a subsidiary of Associated Wholesale Grocers. Swain also served as chairman of the board for Global Market Development Center (GMDC).
Gary Valenti passed November 3. The owner of Gary Valenti Import/Export, Valenti represented Italian housewares brands in the U.S. market in the 1940s, including Bialetti. In the 1950s, he founded Pasta-Mat and Pastamatic Inc., a manufacturer of pasta makers.
Charles Walgreen III, 80, former president, chief executive officer, chairman of the board, and chairman emeritus of the drug store chain Walgreen Co., passed on September 26. Walgreen was the grandson of Charles R. Walgreen Sr., who founded the drug store chain, which is now part of the Walgreens Boots Alliance. His 58-year Walgreens career started in 1952 as a stock boy after school. He later became a pharmacist. In 1963, he was named administrative assistant to the vp/operations and was elected that year to the company’s board. He was named vp in 1968, president in 1969, president and CEO in 1971 and chairman and CEO in 1976. He retired in 1998. He remained chairman until 1999, then retired from the board as chairman emeritus in 2010. Walgreen also served as a director and chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
