Philip Lehner, longtime Leigh Fibers CEO

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 14, 2013

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Philip Lehner, longtime chairman and CEO of industry supplier Leigh Fibers, died Jan. 5 at his home in Hingham, Mass. He was 89.
     During his 65 years with Leigh Fibers, Lehner helped the company become the largest textile and fiber reprocessing company in the United States, a company spokesman said.
     He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College and served in the U.S. Naval Intelligence Service during World War II. He established funds at Harvard, Smith, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown & Nichols, and Milton Academy, and supported environmental and childhood education programs.
     Lehner is survived by his wife, a brother, five children, 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to The Trustees of Reservations, 572 Essex Street, Beverly, Mass. 01915; www.thetrustees.org.