CLEVELAND—Richard Kinstlinger, co-founder of Regal Carpet & Tile and a fixture in the industry, passed away Oct. 11 here. He was 91... more

BRUNSWICK, MAINE—He was the fourth generation of his family to be immersed in the carpet business and learned about the manufacturing and selling of the product from the bottom up. His great grandfather founded Philadelphia Carpet Co. in 1846 and Herbert E. Doerr Jr., was exposed to... more

GARDEN CITY, MO.—Mylan “Mike” Henry Boysen, a well respected International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) installation inspector, passed away Sept. 11 at his home following a brief battle with lung cancer. He was 69... more

LUDINGTON, MICH.—George Alan Palm, a five-decade flooring industry veteran, died Sept. 2 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 85... more

PITTSBURGH—Fred Shapiro was an imposing man, over 6 feet tall, with a gentle demeanor and relentless drive. He spent most of his life as a distributor in the floor covering industry, having risen through the ranks to become president of a major company. He died at his home here July 9 at the age of 93... more

KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA— Dick Dychuck, longtime executive vice president of Canadian distributor Goodfellow and credited with building the Ontario and Western markets, passed away July 26 following a short fight with cancer. He was 68... more

PIKESVILLE, MD.—As a child, Mark Helman knew he had to escape the clutches of poverty and make a better life for himself. His father was a butcher during the Great Depression and Helman was determined to control his destiny by being in his own business. His entrepreneurial skills were instinctive and he used them to become... more

LEXINGTON, N.C.—Robert Joseph Botelho lived carpet and flooring for more than 30 years. The former retailer and New England Floor Covering Association (NEFCA) president, was executive vice president of RollMaster Software. He died at his home here July 6. He was 57... more

WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Seymour Gardner began his illustrious career in the distributing business and spent a half century doing what he loved. He was respected and admired by retailers and suppliers and is remembered by many as a man of integrity and... more

GHENT, N. Y.—Sonna Calandrino was a remarkable woman. She had a flair for fashion, a keen sense of style and a profound desire to help people. That combination of talents endeared her to floor covering retailers, distributors and manufacturers. Her entrepreneurial efforts brought her a chain of stores and her business skills propelled her to... more