Article Number : 4897 |
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| Date | 9/28/2009 8:51:32 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4897 |
| Abstract | CAVE CREEK, ARIZ.—Hundreds and hundreds of people came to pay their respects to Doug Engstler at his memorial service on Sept. 2, spilling onto the grounds of the Phoenix Memorial Mortuary Chapel. He was murdered in his... |
| Article | CAVE CREEK, ARIZ.—Hundreds and hundreds of people came to pay their respects to Doug Engstler at his memorial service on Sept. 2, spilling onto the grounds of the Phoenix Memorial Mortuary Chapel. He was murdered in his home on Aug. 25, at the age of 62. An Arizona native, Engstler attended Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University, and served in the Army in Korea. Upon his return from overseas, he began his 35-year career in the flooring industry. He started in 1971 as a floor covering salesman at Black & Ryan Distributing. When the company was bought by Longust Distributing in 1975, Engstler remained and gained notoriety in the commercial sales division. “Doug was a salesman at heart,” said Bob Petrytus, a longtime colleague at Longust. “He did well because of his magnetic personality and his tremendous work ethic. He had a great ability to make friends, and his treatment of customers was exceptional.” Charity was also important to Engstler, as he volunteered at several children’s organizations and youth leagues. “Doug was good to people that weren’t used to it,” said Petrytus. Engstler’s congenial personality and ability to remember faces set him apart in the industry. Ken Green, who worked with him for five years at Longust Distributing, attested to Engstler’s hyper-retentive memory. “I saw Doug at a trade show a few years ago, and although it had been 25 years since we last saw each other, it was as though no time had passed.” Maintaining professional relationships and a wealth of knowledge in the field were the tools that Engstler used to excel. Recently, he had left Longust to to work for Big D’s Distributing. Doug James, vice president of sales, said Engstler knew everyone in the trade, and was well liked and respected. “What we heard from designers, when he was here and at Longust, was that they specified what Doug sold, no matter what the product was.” Engstler was also a Certified Tile Consultant and a member of the Arizona Floor Covering Association. He is survived by his sons Matthew and Steven; two grandchildren, brother Stephen and sister Ja-an. Memorial contributions can be made in his name to Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, 2929 E. Camelback Road #122, Phoenix, Ariz., 85016. |