Jay McMahan, former McMahan's president
Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, May 26, 2011
McMahan
LOS ANGELES — Jay McMahan, who was president of former retailer McMahan's Furniture here, died May 3 at his home. He was 88.
McMahan was born on Feb. 9, 1923, the very day his father James McMahan - one of the founding members of the National Home Furnishings Assn. - opened the first company-owned McMahan's Furniture Store building.
The company had opened its initial store in a leased space in 1919 and later grew to be a Top 25 furniture retailer. Jay McMahan joined the business in 1942 at age 19 and took over the presidency in 1951 when his father died unexpectedly.
A veteran of the Army Air Force in World War II, McMahan led the James A. McMahan division of McMahan's out of Los Angeles until it was sold to the former Heilig-Meyers in October 1996. Under his leadership, McMahan's grew into a 50-store chain in the western United States.
McMahan also partnered with Howard Lester in 1978 and acquired controlling interest in retailer Williams-Sonoma, which the two took public in 1983. He served on its board from 1979 to 2003 and remained a director emeritus until his death.
"As an employer he was very tuned in to his company and its employees," said Doug Kays, CEO of the HomeFurnishings. com industry portal and former general counsel and vice president of operations for McMahan's.
"He was extremely quick to catch on to a concept and had an uncanny ability to see issues very clearly," said Kays. "He was not afraid to make a decision and seldom revisited a decision once it had been made. He stayed informed and required accountability, but he let employees do the jobs they were hired to perform. I could not have had a better, more honest and forthright mentor."
McMahan is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jacqueline McMahan. They had six children, 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the UCLA Center on Aging, in care of Gary Small, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, 90024.
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