Bill Baros

Miami—Bill Baros, owner of the family-run Miami Rug Co., died of pulmonary complications on Sept. 13 at Mt. Sinai Hospital of which he was a founder. He was 80.

Baros entered the world as J. William Baros Jr. in 1926. While attending Miami High School, he met his wife of 59 years, Irene Jacobs.

Baros did not immediately follow in the footsteps of the family business. During World War II, he was an Ensign in the Navy, serving on a battleship in the North Atlantic. After his discharge, he graduated from Georgia Tech in Atlanta as a chemical engineer. He relocated to Port Arthur, Tex., working for Texaco before moving back to Coral Gables, Fla., in 1952, where he made his debut in the flooring industry.

Joining his brother Evans as co-owner of their father’s business, Baros excelled as a natural leader. The brothers expanded the company from its original store to over 35 carpet and flooring locations throughout Florida and Georgia.

Baros’ son Jim said his father was known for his work in the retail segment of the industry. “His goal was always to make dealers more cohesive.” And, he did just that as part of the group that founded the Retail Floorcovering Institute (RFI), which later became the American Floorcovering Association (AFA), the predecessor of the World Floor Covering Association ( WFCA).

The RFI met Baros’ desire to bring dealers together in a non-threatening environment where they could share information and gain knowledge from other retailers, Jim recalled.

Baros was highly recognized in the Miami-Dade County community as a philanthropist and contributor who accomplished his goals and “made the world a little better” through his fundamentals and work. His accomplishments outside the industry included being a founder of the Jewish Home for the Aged in Douglas Gardens and “Man of the Year” for the retail division of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, among others.

He is survived by his wife, Irene; four children: Jim and his wife, Eunice; Grant and his wife, Martien; Lauren and her husband, Bruce, and Marjorie and her husband, Phil, and 12 grandchildren.

The family asks donations be made to the Jewish Vocational Service, 735 NE 125 St., North Miami, FL 33161-5611.