Obituaries

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 11, 2010

Bob Bush Sr., Hickory Springs executive

HICKORY, N.C. — Bob Bush Sr., a longtime executive at industry supplier Hickory Springs Mfg., died here Jan. 2. He was 78.

Bush, who retired from Hickory Springs as executive vice president of sales, devoted his entire career to the major supplier to the home furnishings industry. Company officials described him as one of the chief architects of the company's success, saying, “He lived and breathed Hickory Springs.”

Bush was widely recognized for his leadership at Hickory Springs and his contributions to the home furnishings industry. He was awarded the Exceptional Service Award and the Robert MacMorran Award by the International Sleep Products Assn., served as the second president of the American Furniture Manufacturers Assn.'s Suppliers Council, and was inducted in the American Furniture Hall of Fame in 2006.

Born in Rahway, N.J., Bush was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University. He began working for Hickory Springs as a youth and joined the company full-time after graduating from college.

“Bob was a man of strong convictions and supported those convictions in all that he did,” the company said. “You knew where he stood and what he stood for. He was always thinking of ways to do things better, how to be more creative, and how to make the company stronger. That never lessened in (his) 50-plus years with the company.”

Said Don Coleman, a longtime friend who is president of Hickory Springs and worked with Bush for years: “His compassion for all of those he met was evident. He was more than just a sincere guy, he was always your greatest supporter. Work with him or for him and you knew immediately. He took great pride in the employees who worked for the betterment of the company. Hickory Springs has lost a true pioneer in our business and in the industries we serve.”

Bush is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jane Blackwood Bush, two sons, Bobby Bush Jr. and Jimmy Bush, both of whom work for Hickory Springs; a sister, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Riverside Military Academy, 2001 Riverside Drive, Gainesville, Ga., 30501-1227; the Hickory Choral Society, 243 Third Ave., NE, Hickory, N.C., 28601-5168; or the Catawba Science Center, at the same address in Hickory.

John Quinn, Restonic licensee leader

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — John Quinn, a key builder of the Restonic brand and its licensee here, Sleep Products, died Jan. 4. He was 77.

Quinn began his career with Restonic in 1958, when he and his grandfather Ralph Quinn Sr. and brother Ralph Quinn Jr. left Serta of Louisville to make and market Restonic Triple Cushion mattresses under the name of Restonic Sleep Products.

John Quinn was active in the Restonic organization over the years, serving on the board of directors as chairman and treasurer. He worked as a mentor to new Restonic licensees, an ambassador to international licensees, and as chairman of search committees when the group sought new leadership, the company said.

“John spent his life in the bedding industry,” said Ron Passaglia, Restonic's president. “He made a great impact with his contributions to his family and to growing the business at Restonic. Everyone who knew him respected his work ethic and enjoyed the business and professional relationships they shared with him. John was well respected throughout the industry and will be missed by all.”

Quinn's colleagues remembered him as a man of honesty, fairness and integrity, qualities that remain central at Sleep Products, Passaglia said.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Lou; sons Lee, Bob and Tom, all of whom are involved in the business; a daughter, Ellen; eight grandchildren, two of whom, Chris and Chad, are involved in the business; and several great-grandchildren.

Ray Bohman, Logistics Council director

CHATHAM, Mass. — Ray Bohman, a fixture in furniture transportation and logistics for more than five decades, and the longtime executive director of the International Furniture Transportation and Logistics Council, died here Jan. 2.

Bohman, 76, was planning to retire from the IFTLC post following the group's annual conference in April.

In addition to his logistics council duties, Bohman wrote three monthly newsletters relating to trucking, ocean shipping and logistics. In recent years, he operated a consulting business, The Bohman Group, out of his home here. Since 1988, he also wrote the monthly “Bohman on Pricing” column for Logistics Management magazine.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Chatham Fire and Rescue, 135 Depot Road, Chatham, Mass., 02633.