Obituaries
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 14, 2008
Herb Carter, Brooks, TEI and Signature rep
Cornelius, N.C. — Herbert "Herb" Lee Carter, a former store owner and retired sales representative for Brooks Mfg., TEI and Signature Home Furnishings, has died of lung cancer. He was 80.
Carter served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1965, he and his wife, Gerri, opened Derita Furniture in Charlotte, N.C. In 1975, he left his wife in charge of the store so he could travel as a rep with Florida Furniture Co. and Rex Furniture. They sold the store in 1983.
He took on other clients, and founded Herb Carter and Associates. He retired in June, a week after his cancer diagnosis.
In addition to his wife, Carter is survived by two daughters, four grandchildren, one great granddaughter, two brothers and a sister.
Memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Lake Norman, 705 Griffith St., Suite 203, Davidson, N.C. 28036; American Cancer Society, 6000 Fairview Road, Suite 200, Charlotte, N.C. 28210; or Lake Norman Baptist Church, 7921 Sam Furr Road, Huntersville, N.C. 28078.
Sam Kasmir, head of jobber Kasmir Fabrics
Dallas — Sam Kasmir, head of major decorative fabrics jobber Kasmir Fabrics, has died after a long illness. He was 60.
The company was founded by his father, Frank Kasmir.
Jeff Thomases, CEO of Swavelle/Mill Creek, said, "Although I knew him mostly from a business perspective, he was always ornery on the outside and a very kind, charitable human being with a big heart. He had a very dry sense of humor and was very demanding. We've lost an important person in the business."
Tom Hilb, CEO of Heritage House, remembered Kasmir as "a great friend. He would give you the shirt off his back. He was very helpful with advice and counsel when I first started in the business. But in his negotiations were always about winning and losing; he always was winning. He was the smartest business man I ever dealt with."
Steve Fanning, vice president of Richloom Fabrics Group, said, "Sam was passionate — about his business and in private life. He was never content to sit back and do the status quo. He was very strong in the financial aspects of the business and had a good eye for product."
Kasmir is survived by his wife, Linda, three sons, two granddaughters and his mother.
Memorials may be made to the Kasmir Family Scholarship Fund at Jesuit College Preparatory School, 12345 Inwood Road, Dallas, Texas 75244, or to a charity of the donor's choice.
