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Obituaries

By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, November 23, 2003

Designer, retailer Ron Barnum

Chicago — Home furnishings designer and retail executive Ron Barnum has died of cancer. He was 65.

Barnum began his career at Marshall Field's in interior design and merchandising, then moved to Sears, where he was assistant national design director from 1962 to 1970. He moved to New York to become the first national design director for home furnishings at J.C. Penney in its corporate office.

He later was a member of the design and development group at Minneapolis-based Room and Board, served as corporate design director at Gabbert's, and was president and a principal of The House Store, a four-unit lifestyle home furnishings chain.

In 1977, he formed Ronald Barnum & Associates, with clients including The Baby's Room/USA Baby, Home 1-2-3, Natuzzi, European Furniture Warehouse, Rochester, N.Y.-based Houseworks, Wickes and Sugar Hill Furniture.

Last year, Barnum collaborated with the late Larry Peabody in a collection for Phillips Collection.

Survivors include his mother, brother and sister. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Bill Gordon, Shaw Living exec

Dalton, Ga. — Bill Gordon, vice president of national accounts for Shaw Living, the rug division of Shaw Inds., has died. He was 41.

He is survived by his wife, Lori Owen Gordon, who is the president of advertising and public relations firm Mitchell & Co.; a daughter; his father; his mother and stepfather; four sisters and two brothers.

Donations may be made to Make-A-Wish Foundation, 1903 Powers Ferry Rd., Suite 150, Atlanta, Ga., 30339.

Irving Richards, manufacturer

New York — Irving Richards, a driving force in bringing contemporary style in furniture and other home products to the American mass market, has died. He was 96.

Richards was an entrepreneur who, starting in the 1930s, sought out designers and manufacturers to make home products, which he promoted and distributed.

He was best known for tabletop and accessories, including American Modern Dinnerware, but also sold furniture, including designs by Russel Wright. He was among the first to import Scandinavian contemporary furniture, including the Omnibus wall unit, and was an early supplier of contemporary furniture to retailers such as Crate & Barrel.

He and his partners founded Raymor/Richards/Morgenthau, which acquired and operated another company called Moridi. Raymor was sold to Simmons, which in turn was purchased by Gulf and Western. Eventually, the parent company closed Raymor and Richards retired about 20 years ago.

"He brought contemporary design in home furnishings and accessories to the average person in America," said Peter Gutheim of Gutheim & Associates in Chicago, who was a sales representative and Midwest vice president for Raymor.

Survivors include two children, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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