New York City—He was a very funny man. He was spontaneous and his rapier-like wit parried the comebacks and showered laughter everywhere. His humor was subtle, always good natured, and often so hilarious they said he could make a mummy smile. On the serious side, Herb Wolk was synonymous with retail excellence. Wolk was inordinately involved in the industry, giving generously of his time, effort and personal resources to advance the cause of retailers everywhere. He was still active, still counseling, when his illness flared and he was admitted to Sloan-Kettering Hospital in Manhattan. Wolk was later transferred to Calvary Hospice in the Bronx, where he passed away on Nov. 28 at the age of 74.

Herbert Wolk was born in Brooklyn on Feb. 24, 1932, and after graduating from high school, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. In 1953, he joined David’s Carpet, a Brooklyn retailer. He remained with the company for 20 years and became vice president and eventually gained an equity position. In 1973, he was named vice president of Allen Carpet, a multi-store chain in the New York area. After two years, he was ready to go out on his own and he founded Cadillac Carpet in Westbury, Long Island.

Cadillac Carpet grew and expanded to become one of the most recognized and respected on Long Island. He trained many of the people he hired over the years and found the effort so rewarding that he later made teaching a significant part of his life. In the early 1980s, the Retail Floorcovering Institute (RFI) organized a four-day school to teach salespeople to become sales professionals. It traveled from city to city, staying a week in each location, and was called the Frank Mayfield School, but Wolk developed the curriculum, shaped the program and taught 80% of the classes. He taught salesmanship and successful business practices at many schools, including the Executive Institute of the American Floorcovering Association (AFA), successor of the RFI, where he groomed the industry leaders of the future.

He served in virtually every office and on every committee of the RFI and AFA. He was chairman of the board of the AFA at the time of its merger with the Western Floor Covering Association, which created the World Floor Covering Association ( WFCA). He played a prominent role in the negotiations and later served on the executive committee of the WFCA for several years after the consolidation, making the transition seamless and problem-free.

“Herb Wolk was a true friend of the WFCA and a close friend and personal mentor to me,” said Chris Davis, president and CEO of the WFCA. “Herb was chairman of the AFA at the time of the merger with the WFCA and was instrumental in engineering a smooth and successful union of the two organizations. His advice and counsel were a great influence on us.”

Cadillac Carpet became a member of CarpetMax, an early retail buying group, in 1989, and Wolk served on the orientation committee for new members. He was persuasive and authoritative, and recruitment increased. In addition to his uncanny ability to sell, he possessed extraordinary people skills. He eventually divested himself of his CarpetMax interests and, in 1993, he retired—not from the industry, just from day-to-day activities. Once asked how he happened to name his business Cadillac Carpet, he replied, “The store I rented was the Cadillac Dress Shop, so I already had Cadillac. I only had to add Carpet.” He never tells if the story is actually true or not, but he will shrug and say, “Better than the Toyota Dress Shop.”

Wolk spent more than two decades working with the RFI, AFA and the WFCA. He was tireless in his efforts to teach and train and relentless in his pursuit of professionalism on the retail floor. Asked what he gets for the countless hours in the classroom, the frequent and uncomfortable road trips, and the considerable amount of time away from his business and family, and he responds, simply, “Gratitude from my students and appreciation from the associations.” Few in our industry have contributed so much for the benefit of so many, so consistently.

Said Chris Davis, “Herb was a larger than life personality, truly one of the most humorous, gentle and generous persons I have ever known. His zest for life was contagious, and while those of us who were blessed to know and work with him are deeply saddened by his passing, we were privileged to have had him in our lives.”

In 2004, Herb Wolk was inducted into the WFCA Industry Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to a man who gave of himself without reservation, without fanfare and without limits. He possessed a quiet dignity, uncommon compassion and a robust sense of humor. On Nov. 28, the angels laughed all night.

Survivors include his wife, Florence; three sons, Mitchell, Stuart and Steven; a daughter Abbe, and grandchildren, Sidney, Joshua, Sarah and Rachel.