CINCINNATI—Kurt Weisbacher, founder of Carpetland, one of the industry’s most successful chains, was known throughout the industry as a wise and helpful man. He laid the groundwork for successful careers for numerous flooring professionals by... more

WEST ORANGE, N.J.—He was an outstanding salesman, entrepreneur, author, train enthusiast and political pundit. To his legion of friends and colleagues, he was a diminutive dynamo who... more

HENDERSON, CALIF.—Stewart Worden, who spent many years as a carpet retailer in San Diego; Spokane, Wash., and Portland, Ore., died May 11 from complications of... more

BREA, CALIF.—Carl Williams, the longtime president and instructor of the Academy of Textiles & Flooring (ATF), died on May 28 following complications of... more

BOYNTON BEACH, FLA.—A heightened sense of humor, an affinity for business and an entrepreneurial bent, mix that with generous doses of charisma and you have Ira Arnowich. He spent his entire 50-year career in... more

MIAMI—Co-owner of the family-run Miami Rug Co., Bill Baros, died of pulmonary complications on Sept. 13 at Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was a founder. He was... more

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Bonnie Singer, a former sales representative for DuPont, passed away suddenly on March 13. She was 58... more

POULSBO, WASH.—John Caldwell, a veteran of the carpet industry for more than four decades, passed away here March 29, following a bout with cancer. He was... more

PORTLAND, ORE.—For decades he was known as Peake the Shade Man, mostly because he carried window treatments as well as floor coverings in his retail operation here. He was active in the industry and rapidly built a reputation as an innovator and a leader. In 1964, he was elected president of the Western Floor Covering Association, which evolved into... more

CAMARILLO, CALIF.—Paul Wolfsohn spent his entire career in the floor covering industry—64 years—in just two jobs: as a sales executive for a distributor on the East Coast and as an upscale retailer on the West Coast. He was charismatic and a raconteur, a gourmet cook and an... more