Obituaries
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 9, 2008
Robert 'Bob' Lauter, Macy's senior VP
By Carole Sloan
New York — Robert "Bob" Lauter, who became a force on the retail home furnishings scene in a career of nearly 40 years at companies including Macy's and W&J Sloane in New York and Burdines in Florida, has died. He was 88.
Lauter spent 24 years at Macy's Department Store and was senior vice president of home furnishings when he left to join furniture retailer W&J Sloane, which he headed for six years. Later, he was an executive at Burdines Department Store for 10 years, retiring in 1986. He then joined Joseph Cory Warehouse in Jersey City, N.J. as senior vice president, and later worked as a consultant.
Lauter came from a furniture family — his ancestors in Europe were involved in the industry for more than a century, including his grandfather, who had a brass bed manufacturing company in Hoboken, N.J., and his father, who was a sales rep.
At Macy's, Lauter spearheaded the concept of annual themed events such as The Far East and The Best of Britain. It was during the Britain event that Terence Conran (now Sir Terence) made his major American debut.
Lauter was a style leader at Burdines as well, said Howard Socol, former CEO of Burdines and now CEO of Barneys New York "Bob gave Burdines a direction in the home," said Socol. "He had a true vision for what a home store should be.... He brought an upscale assortment at the top echelon of the business."
"Bob was a wonderful guy, boss and friend and was very interested in people," recalled John Klein, who succeeded Lauter at Burdines and later headed retailer Wickes. "He was one of very few people who could walk into a room where he knew no one and wind up talking with most of the people — but he could never remember a name."
"He is an icon, he was a spirited self, full of energy," said Joe Cory, head of Joseph Cory Warehouse. "Most of all, he had dignity and talent."
Lauter is survived by two daughters, a son and seven grandchildren.
Memorials in his name can be made to the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York.
Anthony 'Tony' Degomes, Quaker Fabric
Bridgeport, Conn. — Textiles designer Anthony "Tony" Degomes, longtime vice president of design and styling at Quaker Fabric until his retirement in 2005, has died. He was 67.
Degomes interned at Craftex and worked at Uniweave before joining Quaker. Milliken then hired him for its upholstery fabric design team. For several years, Degomes moved back and forth between Milliken and Quaker.
He also worked for a time at Grupo Pliana in Mexico City as director of design and styling. After his retirement from Quaker, he was a consultant to mills in his native-born Brazil.
Outside the world of textiles, Degomes excelled as a soccer player and was once a member of the New York Cosmos pro team.
"He was entertaining and a lot of fun to be with, but he also was a great designer and technician who could put both of those elements together," recalled Tom Muzekari, a longtime textile executive who had known Degomes since the early 1970s at Milliken. "He put Milliken into the woven upholstery fabric business, and worked for the top mills at their peak times."
Degomes is survived by his wife and daughter.
James R. Stirratt, Dayton's, Williams-Sonoma EVP
Bloomington, Minn. — Memorial services were held here for James R. Stirratt, 63, who died Feb. 22 after battling osteosarcoma.
Stirratt spent 26 years at Dayton's Department Stores here, beginning as a trainee and rising to executive vice president of home furnishings. He later joined retailer Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco as executive vice president. When he left Williams-Sonoma, he led a joint venture with the Mayo Clinic to produce a successful cookbook.
"I worked for him for 10 years and in my entire career he was a most supportive person as well as being a risk taker," said Joel Kaplan, now a consultant but previously director of trend merchandising for Dayton's. "He built the home business, was always looking for the 'next' direction, and moved people along. He was a caring person and an entrepreneur."
Stirratt is survived by his wife, four sons, four grandchildren, his mother and a brother.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Mayo Clinic cancer research program, The Nature Conservancy or the North Shore Health Care Foundation.
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Obituaries
Mar 9, 2008
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