Category Archives: Deaths

John Beddows

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John Beddows (1937 – 2016). John was was the first manager of our practice in Ireland, was managing director of the U.K. business for many years and served on the board of KSA.

John Beddows passed away on 29th January after a short illness. John joined KSA in the mid 1960’s and for over 30 years was major influence on our consumer products practice. He was the first manager of our practice in Ireland, was managing director of the U.K. business for many years and served on the board of KSA. Many colleagues will remember him as a fine colleague, a mentor and a gentleman. He was pre deceased by wife Connie and survived by daughters Sarah and Emma and two grandchildren. He was 79.

The funeral is at 1:15pm on Friday 27th January at Darlington Crematorium followed by a wake at Dinsdale Golf Club which is nearby. Please let Sarah Aunger know by text if you plan to attend (07941 873619).

Emma is writing the eulogy and welcomes any anecdotes or thoughts on her father’s time at KSA. You can send them to Alan at alan_braith@yahoo.co.uk.

Click here to visit Alan’s Facebook posting.

Don Richter

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Don Richter

Thanks to Cullen McClure for informing us of Don Richter’s death today. Per Cullen, Don battled cardiac related issues for years but he found out after his last heart attack in 2014 that he had cancer as well.

Don played a pivotal role in Department T for many years, and will be missed by all who were fortunate to know him. Madison does a great job of expressing our sentiments about Don in his heartfelt note which is included below.

Rest in peace Don.

Here is information about Don’s funeral service.

Don’s service will be this Friday, September 2nd at 10:00am in the Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Decatur.

The church is located at 465 Clairemont Ave, Decatur, GA 30030 (Map)

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to either the American Cancer Society or The American Heart Association.

Best regards, Cullen

Memories of Don Richter

by Madison Riley

I’m saddened to inform you that our friend and colleague, Don Richter, passed away early this morning. Don was our Corporate Systems Manager in the IT department.

I realize that many of you didn’t know Don; for others, he may have been some mystic name that you would hear from time to time in the context of our Accounting and Financial systems. This is just the way Don liked it, the venerable wizard behind the curtain. For those of you who did know him or have had the great opportunity to work with him directly, you know we’ve lost a powerhouse of a man who brought so much more to the table than his deep understanding of our systems.

Don started at the firm January 1st, 1980 which made him one of our most tenured employees. He started with Kurt Salmon as a college intern and would later join the firm full time in 1980 after graduating with a law degree from Emory. Don possessed an incredibly rich, detailed, and analytical mind. In fact, his skill and creativity were the driving force behind our highly customized legacy accounting systems (aka the DG system) that served us well for over 25 years. More recently, Don was an important component in the implementation effort of our current Financial system. Don spent months of his time working in Europe when we transitioned to PeopleSoft during the 2000’s. He worked tirelessly side by side the accounting staff solving issues and easing the transition, often times bending the rigid, unforgiving system to his will.

Having joined Kurt Salmon 4 years after Don, he was senior to me; and I remember so many times when I needed help with billing for my clients or for project accounting, going to down to “Department T” (what we called finance at the time) and seeking his help. He was always patient and would always solve whatever challenge I presented. He was a man of intelligence, integrity, good-natured warmth, humor and love for working at Kurt Salmon.

What many of us didn’t know is that Don had a deep appreciation for history and the arts. He was an accomplished photographer and gourmand, a “foodie” before the word existed. Don suffered from health related issues for several years but that didn’t hold him back from his love of cooking and fine food. He’d just use his creativity to come up with healthy ways to enjoy one of his many loves. Our colleagues in IT were continually challenged by his wit, his knowledge, his intellect and his seemingly unending supply of memory.

For many of us, we lost a great friend and mentor today. For all of us, we lost an important part of the Kurt Salmon family and legacy. Our collective thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Pam, his daughter Jennifer, and the rest of his extended family. He will be missed.

Madison Riley
Chief Operating Officer &
Managing Partner – Asia Pacific

Bill Schenke

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Bill in 2011

We regret to announce that Bill Schenke passed away August 1st, 2016.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Schenke family. We will miss Bill. According to Bill Beckemeyer, he was born 17 August 1924, so was only two weeks short of 92 grand years.

Bill Beckemeyer received the note below from Bill’s daughter, Jeannie Schenke Warth. We will post additional information here as it becomes available.

Dear Bill,

Dad passed away yesterday morning.

It is a blessing and a relief. The last weeks were so stressful and difficult for him. His dementia had increased and physical condition deteriorated so quickly.

I would say congestive heart failure was the major cause, but lots of other issues were at hand.

Dad’s obituary will be in the Washington Post on Sunday, if you would like to pass it on to the KSA group.

Thanks, Jeannie

Bill’s obituary was published in the Washington Post. Click here to view the Washington Post obituary and sign their guest book. If the Post obituary is no longer available, see the copy below.
Continue reading→

Stig Kry

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Stig A. Kry, 84, passed away August 24, 2013, peacefully at his Manhattan home, surrounded by family.

Born January 18, 1929, in Aplared, Sweden, Mr. Kry emigrated to the United States after receiving an engineering degree from NKI Skolan, Stockholm.

He joined KSA, a management consulting company, in 1958, and was there for more than 40 years, including serving as chairman of the board. He served on various corporate boards including Dominion Textiles, NPD, Oshkosh B’Gosh, and Paul Harris Retail. He also served on the board of the School of Human Sciences at Auburn University.

Mr. Kry was a man of integrity and kindness. Fluent in three languages, he was a true intellectual, and he possessed a keen sense of humor. He loved the outdoors, tennis, world travel and reading.

Mr. Kry will be greatly missed by his wife, Rebecca, and his children, Lisa Levenson and Lars Kry, his stepchildren, Anne Rochell Konigsmark and Carlton Rochell, nine grandchildren, and his sisters, Brita Josefsson and Siv Martinsson.

A memorial service will be held on September 7 at 4:30pm at Church of Sweden, 5 East 48th St., New York. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Church of Sweden.

Click here to view Stig’s obituary in the NY Times.

Note from Dave Cole (September 12th, 2013)

I attended the service in NYC last Saturday. It was elegant, simple and family oriented, which was in keeping with Stig. All 4 of the children between Becky and Stig spoke eloquently regarding the tremendous positive influence he had on their lives.

At the reception afterwards I had the opportunity to speak individually w/ Becky and all of the children to express condolences and let them know what a positive influence he had been on so many in his professional career.

Stig was truly a unique individual. His intellect, vision, and force of will were key in laying the foundation for KSA to transition to new markets and services in light of the major structural changes in the industries we originally served. He was only the 3rd CEO of KSA in the firms first 53 years, having followed Kurt and Karl.

I feel blessed to have had the privilege to know and work with him.

Best to all,

Dave

Zeb Roberts

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ROBERTS, JR., Clarence Z. Age 81, born on March 25, 1932. Better known as “Zeb” to both friends and business associates from childhood onward. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Jan; and is survived by his wife of some 59 years, Carolyn; sons, Steve of St. Louis and Wes (Laurie) of Dallas; daughter, Leslie (John) Southwood of Nashville; and grandchildren, John Southwood III, Allyson Southwood and Lexie Dierker.

Born in Birmingham and a resident of Nashville since the mid 1950’s, he was a graduate of Auburn University where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

He was employed by the international management consulting firm of Kurt Salmon Associates, following his graduation in 1953 until his retirement in 1990. He advanced to the position of Vice President and Regional Manager while also serving as account executive to a number of Apparel Industry clients in this country, Canada, and the Carribbean. Together with his British colleagues, he pioneered in the application of micro-computers to manufacturing productivity, quality control, and work measurement. He was a founding member of The Insitute of Management Consultants, and participated in the management development programs at Emory and Vanderbilt Universities. He conducted a number of industry seminars, and was a frequent contributor to technical trade journals.

His hobbies were sailing as a young adult and golf throughout his retirement years. He was a charter member of Harbor Island Yacht Club, and a long-time member of both Hillwood Country Club and Hillwood Presbyterian Church.

It was his request that his passing be observed without ceremony. Donations may be made to Hillwood Presbyterian church or to the charity of one’s choice.

View Zeb’s obituary in The Tennessean by clicking here.

Carolyn Crawford Roberts passed away on September 26, 2014. View Carolyn’s obituary in The Tennessean by clicking here.

Randy Nord

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RANDELL K. NORD Randell K. Nord, age 77, of Atlanta, passed away on November 24, 2012.

Memorial Services will be held at H.M. Patterson and Son Oglethorpe Hill Chapel on Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 12:00 PM. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am until 12:00 PM.

Randell was born Nov 1, 1935 in Jamestown, NY, he attended high school at The Hill School in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in 1957 with a BA in Economic Geography. In 1959 he married Mary Anna Connelly (1935-1982) and they had two children.

After college he joined the US Navy and served until 1960 when he enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Upon graduating in 1962 with an MBA with Honors he joined Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA), a management consulting firm.

Randy’s KSA career spanned 34 years as he successively rose from staff consultant, to Principal, Vice President, National Service Director, Global Director of HR, and Board Member. He developed a national reputation for successfully designing and installing Information Technology systems in the Retail and Manufacturing industries. In the mid 1980’s he was a leader on the KSA team that developed and implemented the initial Quick Response concepts that ultimately revolutionized the retail industry supply chain. Randy served major KSA clients nationally and internationally, and was Chairman of the AAMA Information Systems Committee.

Randell married Betty J. Pee of Atlanta in 1984 and they resided first in Princeton, NJ and subsequently Atlanta.

In 1996 he retired from KSA, and he and Betty began dividing their time between Savannah, GA and Amelia Island, Fl. They returned to the Atlanta area in 2011.

Randy enjoyed running, cycling, walks on the beach and was an avid competitive sailor. He sailed in regattas for years at the local and national level, competing in the Snipe Class. At the 1996 Olympics he served as a US Olympic Race Committee volunteer for the sailing venue. Over the years he and his family have enjoyed many sailing vacations in the Virgin Islands.

Randell is survived by his wife Betty J Nord; children, Elizabeth Gorman and Christopher Nord and Robyn and Dave Cole, Elizabeth and Craig Owens, Virginia and Paul Ruths, Thomas Pee, Robert Pee and Scott Parker. In addition he is blessed with grandchildren, Kelly and Robert Gorman, Robert, Leigh, and Gabrielle Owens, Rachel and Amelia Cole, Natalie and Logan Ruths, Emily, Robert, Alex and Wells Pee.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Dartmouth College, 10 North Main St., Hanover, NH 03755, or Chautauqua Institution, PO Box 28, One Ames Ave., Chautauqua, NY 14722.

Freddie Wood

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Freddie Haas Wood, 80, died on Sunday, April 8th, 2012 from complications after being hospitalized with pneumonia.

Freddie was born in Macon, Ga. on June 2nd, 1931. He was the son of Fred Haas Wood & Martha Grimes Wood. He grew up in Milledgeville, Ga. and attended Georgia Military College High School where he was valedictorian of his class. He also earned the Eagle Scout award as a Boy Scout. He was accepted to West Point, but attended Georgia Military College instead to be close to his mother following his father’s death. After two years at GMC, Freddie transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned a BS from the College of Engineering in Textiles in 1952 and a BS from the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISyE) in 1953. At Ga. Tech, he served as Vice President and President of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, was a member of the Phi Psi National Textile Fraternity, and regularly made the Dean’s List.

Following his graduation in 1953, Freddie served for two years in the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant. He served much of that time stationed in Japan on the island of Hokkaido.

In 1956 Freddie moved to New York and began a long, successful career working as a textile consultant for Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA).In 1961 he moved to London and headed up the English division of KSA. After a few years he moved back to New York and in 1963 he met deJarnette Reynolds (Wood), also from Milledgeville, and the two married in October 1964. In 1965 they moved to Paris where Freddie managed the three European division of KSA. In 1967 they moved to Atlanta, Ga. where they lived for several decades and raised their two children, Reynolds and Reid. That year Freddie became a strategic planner for KSA as the company diversified. He was named Textile Executive of the Year in 1970. Freddie’s career with KSA spanned 40 years. He retired from the firm in 1996 as Vice President of Strategic Planning.

Throughout his career and his retirement, Freddie continually served the School of ISyE at Ga. Tech. He was a member of ISyE’s Advisory Board from 1994 – 2000. He received the ISyE Academy of Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999 and he became an Emeritus member of the board in May 2000.

In his retirement Freddie spent time in Atlanta, Ga., Burnsville, NC, Venice, Fl., and Brevard, NC. He also spent time with his son’s family in Jackson, Ms. He was an avid reader and enjoyed water color painting and sketching. He also enjoyed following Ga. Tech football, playing duplicate Bridge and found that he liked acting in amateur play productions at College Walk, in Brevard, NC.

Freddie was a devoted, loving son, husband, father, grandfather, son-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. He was a great friend and trustful colleague to many. He is survived by his wife deJarnette Reynolds Wood, daughter Reid deJarnette Wood, son Robert Reynolds Wood and daughter-in-law Christi Wood, and three grandchildren Noah, Zion, and Adayah.

Freddie Wood’s family will receive visitors at 3:00pm on Saturday, April 14th at H.M. Patterson & Son Spring Hill Chapel, 1020 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. The memorial service will follow at 4:00pm. He will be laid to rest in Milledgeville, Ga. on Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 2:00pm.

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to a charity of your choice or to the Georgia Tech Foundation for the School of Industrial Engineering General Fund, in honor of Freddie H. Wood.

Mailing address: School of ISyE, Development Office, 755 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0205. Checks should be payable to the Georgia Tech Foundation.

Joe Scheines

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Joe Scheines, FBBC Awards Breakfast, 1/24/2009

Joseph Scheines, 82, of Hilton Head Island, died Feb. 8, 2010.

Whether you called him Joe, Dad, or Poppa, he was known for his curmudgeonly exterior, his quick wit, and his incredibly huge heart.

He was a 30 year veteran of Kurt Salmon Associates as head of its communications activities, in a job he created himself.

He will be missed by many, but mostly those who survive him, his children, Daniel Scheines and Lisa Scheines (Peter) Horton and his grandchildren, Alexandra and Jess Horton and Thalia and Dorothy Scheines.

Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, February 10 at 10 AM at Congregation Beth Yam, 4501 Meeting Street, Hilton Head. Interment to follow at Six Oaks Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Planned Parenthood. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.