TEXTILES.ORG
In memoriam: Ken C. Prine
April 26th, 2021
IFAI Honored Life Member Ken C. Prine passed away Feb. 22, 2021. Ken was born in 1936 in St. Augustine, Fla., to Pete and Marjorie Prine. He attended Ketterlingus High and graduated from Georgia Tech. Ken is survived by his loving family including his wife Mary Prine and children Pam Murphey, Ken Prine, Kevin Prine […]
In memoriam: Johannes Zimmer
March 12th, 2021
Johannes Zimmer Johannes Zimmer of family-owned Zimmer Austria, a leading manufacturer of equipment for screen and digital printing, coating, drying, steaming and technical textiles, died on Feb. 20, 2021. Zimmer was born on Sept. 20, 1930, in Warnsdorf, Bohemia, as Sudeten German/Austrian. His father and grandfather were reputable makers of textile machinery in the Warnsdorf […]
In memoriam: Robert W. Gore
September 22nd, 2020
Robert W. “Bob” Gore, whose scientific discoveries led to the development of waterproof GORE-TEX® fabric, died on Sept. 17 at the age of 83. Gore was chairman emeritus of the board of directors of W. L. Gore & Associates, a global material science company dedicated to improving lives through advancements in technology. His death was […]
In memoriam: Davis Richardson
July 13th, 2020
Davis Michael Richardson of Boyds, Md., passed away on July 8 after a brief but valiant fight with melanoma. Davis was the founder and owner of Sugarplum Tent Company, a leading special events company in the Washington, D.C., metro area since 1990. Davis established Sugarplum Tent Company with his wife, Barbi. The company quickly earned […]
In memoriam: Bill Murrell
May 14th, 2020
Tensile structure pioneer Virgil William “Bill” Murrell Jr. passed away May 7, 2020, at his home in Naples, Fla. An engineer, architect and mathematician, Murrell cofounded Fabric Structures Inc. and Murrell Tensile Works. He served on the code committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), devised biaxial testing for fabrics, and wrote computer […]
Memoriam: Michael Funk
May 18th, 2016
Michael Funk, of Montgomery, Ill., died unexpectedly from heart failure on May 14, 2016, at Rush Copley Medical Center. He worked for Glen Raven/Sunbrella in sales for the last 30 years. Michael is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Patti, his daughter Jennifer (fiancé Kristoffer Hinchley), his brothers David (Karen) Funk and James […]
In memoriam: Leon Lenney
December 21st, 2015
Leon Lenney, Redwood Empire Awning The longtime owner of Redwood Empire Awning, Leon Lenney, passed away on Dec. 14, 2015, at the age of 72, after spending his entire working career with the company that was founded by his father in 1951.The Santa Rosa, Calif.-based company makes quality custom awnings, industrial canvas products and specialized […]
In memoriam: Frederick Utzinger III
September 2nd, 2015
Frederick Utzinger III, a fourth-generation owner of Independent Awning and Canvas Co., Dayton, Ohio, passed away Aug. 15 at the age of 59. Utzinger started in the awning business at age 14 while working beside his father. He took over the family business when his father passed in 1990, and he and his wife, Shirley, […]