Obituaries
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 25, 2002
| Ficks |
Bob Ficks Jr., Ethan Allen, HFC veteran
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — Robert L. "Bob" Ficks Jr., whose industry career of more than 50 years included three decades at Ethan Allen and a stint as executive director of the Home Furnishings Council, has died. He was 82.
Ficks got his start in furniture at his family's company, wicker and rattan specialist Ficks Reed, in his native Cincinnati. He left in 1954 to become sales manager at distributor Salmanson & Co. in New York.
In 1956, he joined Baumritter/Ethan Allen as national sales manager. He rose to vice president of advertising and public relations at Ethan Allen, the post he held at his retirement in 1989.
"He understood how to market, and that was instrumental in working with Nat Ancell and Pat Norton in building Ethan Allen … and later at the Home Furnishings Council," said Bob Nightengale, a longtime friend who worked with Ficks at the HFC, an industrywide effort to promote home furnishings to consumers. Ficks hired Norton at Ethan Allen in 1962 and the two worked together for nearly two decades. Norton, now chairman of La-Z-Boy, said Ficks was "extremely creative. He was very, very good with the written word and had a tremendous knowledge of our industry…. He was involved in every effort to promote the industry positively."
Ficks served as executive director of the HFC for a time beginning in July 1991. He continued working as a consultant until his health began to fail in the past year, and attended last October's High Point market.
Survivors include his wife, three children and five grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Robert L. Ficks Jr. Memorial Fund for Vocational Training of Adolescents at a charity for disadvantaged children in which he was active: The Vitam Center, 57 West Rocks Road, Norwalk, Conn. 06851.
Ted Jackson, retired Simmons Canada exec
OAKVILLE, Ontario — Ronald Edward "Ted" Jackson, a stalwart of the Canadian bedding industry, has died at his home here. He was 64.
Jackson had retired on Dec. 31, 1999, as executive vice president of Simmons Canada.
"Ted had a very successful 38-year career with Simmons Canada," said his longtime friend Pat Thody, the company's chairman.
Jackson joined Simmons in 1961 on the Toronto order desk, progressing through various sales territories to sales manager in Winnipeg in 1972. He was named marketing manager in charge of national accounts in 1985, then was promoted to vice president of marketing three years later, and executive vice president in 1998.
Jackson was part of the management group that purchased Simmons Canada from its U.S.-based parent in the early 1990s and then helped take the company public as SCI Income Trust a few years later.
His industry activities included several years on the board of the International Sleep Products Assn.
"Beyond being a highly respected business associate, Ted was a friend to many in the company as well as the industry and will be remembered fondly by all," Thody said.
He is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren. The family requests that donations in his memory be made to the charity of one's choice.
| Jackson |
