Despite regional markets, dealer conventions and a devastating snowstorm that paralyzed the country for a couple of days, word of the passing of Al Wahnon, FCNews’ founder, president and editor, quickly spread throughout the industry. From phone calls to letters to emails to Facebook and Twitter postings, people sent in their condolences in droves.

The following is a sampling of the many notes of sympathy given to the man who was one week shy of celebrating his 56th year reporting on and chronicling the flooring industry.



My name is Helen Marcus and I am a very old friend of Al’s. My husband was Jim Marcus and Larry Nagle was his partner and my dear friend. I’m in a totally different end of the business; I supply handmade rugs for hotels but I love Floor Covering News. Lew Migliore told me today about Al’s passing and I am truly devastated.

You will get a ton of these letters, I know, but I could not let this go by without writing you. I am sure that you are inconsolable but good memories linger on.

I had the best time with Al and really liked his editorials. I often wrote him and he said I was his best fan. And I was for many, many years. I had such respect for his talent and his humanity.

I send you good thoughts.
Helen Marcus



I’m so sorry to hear about Al. I also can’t believe he was 90. I remember first meeting Al at the Philadelphia Floor Covering Association in the 80s. He was so good to [my sister] Sonna and I and helped us get started speaking and consulting. He had a great sense of humor. I loved his writing. We will all miss him.
Lisbeth Calandrino



FCICA mourns the passing of Al Wahnon. One of the giants in the flooring industry and in publishing has passed away this week: Al Wahnon. He will be remembered for many things at FCICA, but especially his staunch support of our mission to educate the flooring contractor and flooring installers.

He was made an Honorary Lifetime Member of the FCICA in 2007 in recognition of his considerable achievements.

Al provided FCICA a forum in Floor Covering News with the Installments column that allowed us to introduce new ideas, concepts, techniques and methods to improve the lot of those in the industry.

As we said in the 2005 Floor Covering News Anniversary edition [honoring Wahnon’s then 50 years in the industry]: “Keen insight and cryptic comments have served this icon well over the years...he has told it like it really is and pulled no punches...he keeps life exciting, but is not above poking fun at those of us who take ourselves too seriously.”

As former Starnet president and CEO Lori Dowling once said, “He has been a voice for the commercial flooring business when so much focus has been on the residential end of the industry.”

I think we’d all agree that one of Al’s strengths has always been that he had the vision to see what could be rather than what is and man enough to admit there are different points of view. Yes, he could be acerbic in his remarks, but he was never boring and always a gentlemen.

We will miss him.
Dave Stafford



I was very saddened to hear of Al’s passing today. He was a good journalist and better yet, a good man.

It’s been more than a quarter-century since I sent my first story to Al. At his insistence, I had a Quip machine in my office (a forerunner of the FAX) just for him, so he could get information faster than anyone else. I recently read that Dr. Hunter S. Thompson had a similar gadget, which he christened “the mojo wire.”

Like Hunter, Al had more than enough mojo for a small army of men.

Al was demanding, and he made us all better communicators and businesspeople for it. He knew what was news and what wasn’t. He handled controversial topics when he needed to. But even when he needed to be critical, he was always an advocate and cheerleader for the industry.

We are all better for it.
Thanks, Al. Godspeed.
Wayne Bowman



I was sorry to hear about Al’s passing. He was a good friend for many years.

He certainly was a moving force for good in the industry. I loved his perspective, hard work and hands-on reporting with an attitude. He will be missed.

It was not long ago I too suffered the loss of a dear friend, mentor, boss and so much more. I just read of Al’s passing. I am so sorry for your loss. I did not know Al that well, but right after Sonna Calandrino passed away he called me directly and we talked. It felt like a conversation with an old friend. He gave Sonna her start in this industry. He was one of the great ones right along with Sonna. The industry has lost another legend.

It’s up to people like you and I now to continue the work they started in us.

I hope that we can all be friends for a long, long time.

If there is anything we can do or I can do personally, please let me know.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and the staff at FCNews.
Margo Locust



A titan of a tree in the forest of floor covering has fallen.

While there are many newcomers, and those who have come and gone, Al Wahnon stands among the very few giant Redwoods who have seen the old days and successfully forged into the new days—yet beautifully bridged and wrote about all the incredible gaps of everything in between.

Not only did Al accomplish all of that, he accomplished it all with brilliance and style—and captured much of it in his beautiful writing over so many years. Al was also a giver extraordinaire, including being one of the cornerstone founders of the Floor Covering Industry Foundation.

It is only those closest to Al who truly understand the depth and magic of his brilliance and generosity.

Al was an incredibly seasoned “Tree of Life” in the forest of humanity. He was not only strengthened by the glory of so much beautiful sunshine, his branches were also strengthened by the challenging agonies of many dark winters.

Whether it was fighting in World War II or the incredible battle of a career transformation and reinventing himself and his newspaper, Al prevailed, even forging his own publication through difficult times. Al was also blessed with the love of his wonderful wife, Rose, through all those transitions.

And, of course, I believe the greatest challenge of Al’s life was the transition and passing of his magnificent young son, Leslie, a man who I was lucky enough to call my friend. Les had the same spiritual magic and joie de vivre of his father. He was a beautiful clone of that same enthusiasm Al was dripping with. But Les was a young man who died much too soon. My comfort is that I am sure Al had Les on his mind during his last moments of his earthly years. And, in some dimension, no matter our beliefs or religion, there is a “tickly thought”—yes some remote possibility we may see a great loved one again. Al and Rose loved Les so much. And, no, time does not heal all wounds.

But, at this time of Al’s passing, it should not be about sadness. For Al was a great gift upon this earth—yes, even his insanity. Thinking about it, Al is still a great gift upon this earth—his energy is making me smile right now.

So, my dear friend Al, who transitioned me from a young guy in the carpet business—my beginning days with Mohawk in Amsterdam, N.Y., the Korvette’s days, Danny Schoen, Nat Shore, Gene Barwick, Bud Seretean, and so many more—I thank you for your guiding hand.

Al Wahnon was a walking history book of our industry who, like the Energizer Bunny, kept going and going, right to the end of his beautiful life.

If the grounds of heaven have floor covering other than clouds, I am sure we shall be hearing about it shortly.
Mike Jaco



It was a shock to hear that Al passed away. I had just finished writing him a cheery note from CFI and answered the phone. While doing that, I pulled up the news for today and discovered he had died. I know this is a very difficult time for all of you and we will keep you in our prayers. What a wonderful man. He was so full of life for this industry. He will be greatly missed. Al was indeed a true friend of CFI and the flooring industry, always sharing his ideas in a joyful way with others. He had worked in this industry for over 50 years and helped create the Floor Covering Industry Foundation that helps so many. He will always be known as one that gave so much to help so many. Al will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.
Jane Walker



Oh, may he fly through all kingdoms surrounding us.

I know he is forever in the cloud of witnesses that surround this blessed earth life.

He would have it no other way.

Can you imagine what he sees, as he has a chance— FINALLY—to see the full beauty of his own soul?!
Ken Graber



The message of Al Wahnon’s passing did not come totally unexpected; however, it did bring with it a sudden finality, one with which we must learn to associate.

Though thousands of miles separated us, we were always united in the engagement for the carpet industry.

With Al Wahnon, one of the last “gentlemen” of our trade passed away. What a life came to an end.

Al was a young corporal in the 82nd Airborne during D-Day and got seriously wounded later on. Al was a highly decorated WWII veteran, but we think the civil honors filled him with pride, such as his admission into the flooring industry’s Hall of Fame as one of its inaugural members.

Al devoted well over 50 years of his life to the [flooring] industry. He accompanied all the heights and depths of this industry—he saw names, persons and companies come and go, rise and fall.

We were good friends, but Al even observed us critically—Elke for about the last 40 years and Rolf for the last 23 years. And more than once, he pointed out, in his inimitable specific way, possible mistakes we made.

Al’s experiences, his expertise, his readiness to help and, as witnessed from many epochs of America and Europe, his knowledge went with him to his burial place.

For posterity, remains his written thoughts and reports. His editorials and “Al’s Column” set journalistic standards, and they will now be missing.

How much we would have loved to celebrate together with Al the 25th anniversary of Floor Covering News this year and the 50 years of Arora-Design in 2012.

But is should not be so.

Al, we will miss as a human being and really good friend, and he will remain for us unforgotten, because only the one who will be forgotten did die.

Al stays unforgotten.
Elke and Rolf Arora




If ever there were a time when a hole is left in a glass of water when a finger is removed, it is now with Al’s departure.
Fritz Rench



I never met Al Wahnon, but his impact was felt in our businesses and in our home every day.

Were it not for Al who gave [my late wife] Sonna Calandrino her first break as a contributing editor so many years ago, I’d be reluctant to say how much more time it would have taken for Sonna to rise to where she did in the flooring industry. This says a lot about the Al Wahnon most folks did not know. Perceptive. Encouraging. A mentor...but strict in terms of discipline of thought. Smart enough to not only hire a woman in the days it just wasn’t done, but to encourage people like Sonna to step out of their comfort zones and to be a champion of doing the right thing.

Sonna was forever urging me to read Al’s columns. They were full of industry information, certainly, but also a pure and unique form of wisdom and literary-ness that has gone out of fashion.

Al was erudite and competitive. He was critical and constructive.

The greats of our industry are passing. Learn from those who are left.

As members of the WWII French Underground would say, “Bon chance et bon courage, mon ami.”
Richard Howland Jr.



I was so sorry to learn about Al’s passing and I wanted to reach out to the FCNews staff to offer my most sincere condolences. I have very fond memories of Al and he was always a great supporter of Pergo and me personally, which I will always remember. He was a pioneer and an icon in the floor covering industry and an energetic, vocal and very professional editor of your paper. He will be sorely missed.

With my fondest regards,
Lars von Kantzow