Obituaries
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, April 13, 2009
Tony Wray Butcher, Valspar Inds.
HIGH POINT — Tony Wray Butcher, who worked with furniture designers at finish and coating manufacturer Valspar Inds., has died. He was 54.
Butcher joined Lilly Inds. in High Point in the late 1980s as a color stylist, said Alan Robertson, who was his supervisor. Butcher worked with furniture designers and the marketing team to pick finishes that best suited the product.
After Lilly was acquired by Valspar in 2001, Butcher worked in the wood coating division as a senior international stylist. Robertson said Butcher traveled to Asia about five times a year and often shared his knowledge of expertise of colors and finishes with manufacturers there. “He could take a design and marry a finish to produce a winning product,” Robertson said.
Butcher, a Navy veteran, also was an avid artist in his spare time and his work was displayed in several galleries.
Butcher is survived by his wife, a daughter, a son, a granddaughter and two brothers. Memorials can be made to The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, 106 Towerview Court, Cary, N.C. 27513.
Norman Lacoff, showroom owner
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Norman Lacoff, owner of a to-the-trade showroom in Michigan, has died. He was 81.
Lacoff opened his first furnishings and accessories showroom for designers and industry professionals in 1962 in Detroit and later relocated to Southfield, Mich.
In 1976, he became an anchor tenant in the Michigan Design Center. The Norman Lacoff & Associates showroom was open nearly 30 years and carried such lines as Bernhardt Furniture, Erwin-Lambeth, Swaim, Bauer Lamps, Wildwood Lamps, Cy Mann Designs, Triffon Fabrics and Paul Keiser Wall Coverings.
Lacoff retired to Florida five years ago. He is survived by his wife, Audrey, a former sales representative; three daughters, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made in Norman Lacoff’s name to a charity of choice or Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 E. Ave., West Palm Beach, Fla. 33407; Adele and Ray Galper -Send a Kid to Camp, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, Mich. 48322; or Temple Israel, Rabbis’ Discretionary Fund, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, Mich. 48323.
A. Patrick Bright, owner Dunk & Bright
SKANEATELES, N.Y. — A. Patrick Bright, longtime president and owner of Syracuse, N.Y., retailer Dunk & Bright Furniture, has died. He was 82.
A veteran of World War II and a graduate of Syracuse University, he joined the store founded by his father and built it into the largest retail furniture showroom in New York State.
He sold the business in 1993 to his son Jim Bright, who remains president and owner. A. Patrick Bright remained involved along with another son, A. Patrick Bright Jr., in a separate business, Dunk & Bright Furniture Leasing.
In addition to his business accomplishments, A. Patrick Bright was active in civic and philanthropic causes. He was named Greater Syracuse Man of the Year in 1975, and the National Home Furnishings Assn. honored him for outstanding service to the industry.
A profile on the Syracuse.com Web site describes his career. It’s at http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/a_patrick_bright_philanthropis.html.
In addition to two sons, Bright’s survivors include his wife, three daughters, eight grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, brother and sister.
Joe Murphy, chairman, Bradford Furniture
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Joe Murphy, former chairman of Nashville-based retailer Bradford Furniture Co., has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 86.
Murphy joined Bradford’s in 1948 after graduating from Vanderbilt University. He started as a buyer and eventually rose to lead decorator and vice president. He retired in 1998 as owner and chairman of the upscale home furnishings and interior design retailer.
During his half century in the home furnishings business, Murphy cultivated many relationships, including introducing Paul Maitland-Smith to manufacturer Sherrill Furniture, which led to the creation of furniture source Theodore Alexander.
Murphy is survived by his wife, son, daughter and grandson. Memorials can be made to the Alzheimer’s Assn., 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, Ill. 60601-7633.
Joseph F. Ralph Jr., Riverside sales rep
ST. JOHN’S, Mich. — Joseph F. Ralph Jr., a former sales representative with manufacturer Riverside Furniture, has died. He was 68.
Ralph, who served in the Marine Corps from 1958 to 1960, worked in banking before moving to Michigan in 1969 to join the furniture industry. He spent most of his career with Riverside Furniture and received the company’s President’s Award for Salesman of the Year during his tenure.
He is survived by his wife, one son, two daughters, six grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, four sisters and three brothers.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 38105.
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