In 2024, the industry lost many well-known and long-respected leaders. Also lost were those not so well known, but who should still be recognized, and we have tried to include them as well.

This list, we realize, is not comprehensive. Please let us know by email if we missed any industry representatives that deserve to be remembered. 

January
Paul Roman, the influential founder of Fine Woodworking magazine and The Taunton Press, died on Jan. 5, 2024. He was 92.

Roman, a longtime woodworking hobbyist, launched Fine Woodworking magazine on his dining room table after he was laid off from a public relations job at General Electric. The magazine became an icon of woodworking and broke many of the long-held assumptions about what it took to be a successful consumer magazine.

Roman retired from publishing in 2000. The Taunton Press was recently sold to Active Interest Media, which is continuing to publish Fine Woodworking and other Taunton titles.

February
Sandy Berliner, former FDM publisher, the forerunner to FDMC magazine, has died after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 86.

Berliner was born on December 18, 1937, and died February 26, 2024.

Sandy began his business career as an advertising salesperson in New York. He was eventually offered a promotion and moved his family to the Chicago area where he became the publisher of several trade magazines in the furniture, kitchen and bath industries, including FDM, CabinetMaker, and UDM. In 1982, Sandy published his primary magazine, Furniture Design & Manufacturing (FDM), in Spanish for distribution in Mexico, Central and South America, which earned him the praise of the late Senator Charles H. Percy of Illinois.

In 1998, Berliner and five other principals formed Chartwell Communications to purchase FDM, CabinetMaker and UDM from Cahners and WoodshopBusiness magazine from William Sampson. When Chartwell was eventually sold to Watt Publishing, Berliner retired and moved to La Quinta, California.

March
On March 17, Robert Christopher Wood, 37, was killed while servicing the hydraulic system of a forklift under the raised carriage/forks at his job at Weyerhaeuser's New Bern sawmill in Vanceboro, North Carolina.

A sudden loss of hydraulic pressure caused the carriage/forks to fall onto Wood, which resulted in his death, according to company officials. His obituary states he had lived his entire life in the Craven County town of Cove City. He was an avid outdoor enthusiast who was known for his kind heart and mechanical inclinations, according to his obituary.

Frank Marvin, former president and vice chair of Marvin's board of directors, died March 2. He was 82.

Marvin was a 42-year company veteran and third-generation member of the Marvin family to work at the window and door company.

Marvin joined the company full-time in April 1969 and would later become the first member of the third generation of the Marvin family to be elected to the board of directors. He served as vice president of sales from 1977 to 1981, after which he began an 11-year term as company president during a period of significant growth for Marvin. He later served as vice chairman of the board and led company-owned distribution and retail operations until he retired in August 2011.

April
In a shocking accident, industry leader James Scarlett died when the plane he was piloting crashed in Tennessee on April 12. He was 45.

Scarlett was the CEO of Scarlett Inc., in Grand Rapids, Michigan and flew commercially. Scarlett, who was recently named the chair of the executive committee of the new Wood Industry Association (WIA), took over for his father Jim Scarlett and, "as one of the principles of Scarlett, set out to build a team that is dedicated to providing new and creative solutions to customers while focusing on the overall customer experience," according to his brief biography on the Scarlett Inc. website.

In 2018, he was honored as a Woodworking Network Wood Industry 40 Under 40 competition that recognizes wood industry leaders who "demonstrate excellence in the categories of: productivity, social good, ingenuity, peer inspiration, product development, organizational leadership, or another facet of the wood industry."

"James was not only a remarkable leader but also a cherished friend and mentor to many within our company and beyond. His absence will be deeply felt throughout the industry," the company said.

Zuzana Martin, North American manager for Chem-Trend LP, died unexpectedly on April 7 while on business in Florida. She was 59.

Martin had a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia, and used her knowledge to make an impact in the woodworking industry. Spanning approximately 20 years, her professional work included tenures at Deurowood Produktions and Arclin. She was also active in organizations including the Composite Panel Association.  

William P. (Bill) Nelson, longtime woodworker and founder of Precision Moulding & Woodworks, died on April 3. He was 88.

Nelson grew up in the hardwood lumber industry. His childhood stretched from logging in South America to working with his father at a veneer mill in Pascagoula, Mississippi. In 1989, Nelson, his nephew Stan, Nancy, Tony, and Howard began Precision Moulding & Woodworks.

July
Jesse Almos, owner of Sonoma Woodworks, who built a reputation for his fine custom pieces, died July 21. Almos, who reportedly had health issues, died in his sleep. He was 49.

Almos, from his wood shop in Sonoma County, made stunning furniture out of salvaged wood. Describing to a local ABC News station what it was like while to discover a piece of wood. “It's like, Christmas. I mean, it's just like, you never know what you're going to get; beautiful grain and it’s from this area," he said.

His work ranged from cabinets, bars, and wine racks, tables and chairs, and local crafted cutting boards.

Stanley J. Wierzbicki Jr., 72, died Thursday, July 4.

He earned a degree in carpentry and woodworking from Johnson Technical School, and was the owner and operator for 50 years of Wierzbicki Woodworking, LLC, Greenfield Township, Pennsylvania. He built numerous homes in the area but was mostly proud of the homes he built for his daughters and close personal friends. Stan was a master carpenter and also owned and operated a family farm in Greenfield Township consisting of beef cattle.\

August
Bruce Akhurst, former Akhurst Machinery owner and vice president, died Aug. 16 following a battle with dementia. He was 78.

Bruce Akhurst joined his father H.W. "Spud" and brother Brian in the family business in 1970, and played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth. Throughout his career, he introduced several renowned brands to the North American market, including the Reform range of knife grinders and Leadermac moulders.

Akhurst Machinery is one of North America’s largest independent machinery distributors, with branches located across Canada and in the United States. The group includes Cantek America and Leadermac USA.  Bruce Akhurst retired in 2017, and today the company is run by sons Graham and Ryan, along with Bruce's nephew, Brent.

Walter Lenoir Foxworth II, president of Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Company, died August 2. He was 89.

Foxworth dedicated much of his life to the family business, Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Company, where he worked for over 60 years in various roles, including president, chairman, chairman emeritus, and director. He was active in the Lumbermen's Association of Texas (LAT), where he served on the Board, was president in 1990, and was honored as Lumberman of the Year in 1993. Additionally, he contributed significantly to the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA), serving on the Board and receiving numerous awards, including the President's Pathfinder Award, the Distinguished Service Award, the Industry All-Star, the Leadership Advisory Award, and the Chairman's Award. 

September
Daniel Kuhlman, who served as Acme Tools’ president for more than fifty years, died on Sept. 9 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was 82.

In 1962, he joined his father, Acme Electric founder George Kuhlman, and expanded the family-owned and operated company into tool sales that sparked the growth of the business over five decades as a premier retailer of tools and equipment in the upper Midwest.

He invested in new e-commerce technology in 2010, relaunching AcmeTools.com. Kuhlman also started Acme Rents in 1995 and Acme Equipment in 2013.

November
Ed Curtis, known for his enthusiasm for the New England Patriots, a wealth of jokes and humorous stories, and his ever willingness to help other shop owners in the Cabinet Makers Association, died unexpectedly after stepping off a pickleball court on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.

Edward Christopher Curtis was 64 and a resident of Port St. Lucie, Florida, when he died, but he was more known for his Boston-area roots and his longtime association with the cabinet industry.

After successfully renovating his first home, Curtis discovered his talent for general contracting which later fueled his love of woodworking and cabinetry. In 1989, Ed built their new family home and soon after established Curtis Cabinetry in Middleton, Massachusetts. By 2019, he had expanded the company to Georgetown, Massachusetts, and had bout 15 employees, including Ed’s wife, Bessie, and his son, Ed, who was the company’s chief engineer.

He served on the Board of Directors for the Cabinet Makers Association from 2005 to 2008, and was a fixture on the CMA message boards. After a long, fruitful career, he sold the company and retired to Florida in the spring of 2023.

December
Philip Bibeau, longtime industry advocate and former executive director of the Wood Products Manufacturers Association, died Dec. 7, following complications from Lewy Body dementia. He was 67.

Bibeau joined the WPMA in 1995 as the director of Association Services. His leadership skills and commitment to excellence led to his appointment as executive director in 2000, and he continued to drive WPMA's success until his retirement in 2022.has died.

William “Bill” Filthaut Sr., known as a man of innovation, resilience, and vision, died Dec. 4, after a courageous battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).

Filthaut, 77, left behind a legacy as a "legend in the cabinet industry, and a devoted family man," the company said.  

Filthaut leveraged his cabinet-making expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to co-found Filthaut’s Cabinet Shop with his wife JoAnn in the early 1970s.  They renamed the company JB Cutting in 1995. Beginning as a humble endeavor, JB Cutting has grown to become an industry leader in manufacturing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and components.  

"Meeting Bill was like reuniting with an old friend. His warmth, wit, and openness made it easy to feel as though you had known him for years, even if you'd only just shaken his hand. He had a unique ability to connect with people and make them feel valued, whether they were family, friends, or colleagues."