Bobby W. Bush Sr., a retired 50–year veteran of industry supplier Hickory Springs Mfg. Co., died Jan. 2. He was 78.
Bush spent his entire career with the Hickory, N.C.–based company, retiring as executive vice president of sales.
A statement from the company described him as “the chief architect in the foundation and success of Hickory Springs. He was always thinking of ways to do things better, how to be more creative and how to make the company stronger.”
“His compassion for all those he met was evident. He was more than just a sincere guy, he was always your greatest supporter,” said Don Coleman, a longtime family friend and Hickory Springs president. “We have lost a true pioneer in our business and in the industries we serve.”
Throughout his career, Bush served on a number of association and organization boards, including the American Furniture Hall of Fame, the Bienenstock Furniture Library, the suppliers division of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, the International Sleep Products Association and the Polyurethane Foam Association.
He received two of ISPA’s highest honors, the Robert MacMorran Memorial Award in 1989 and the (Russell Abolt) Exceptional Service Award in 1998. In 2006, he was inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame.
Bush graduated as a ranking cadet from Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga., and received a degree from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
He is survived by his wife, Jane; two sons, Bobby Bush Jr. and Jimmy Bush; five grandchildren; and two great–grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Riverside Military Academy, the Hickory Choral Society in Hickory or the Catawba Science Center in Hickory.
