PITTSBURGH—Fred Shapiro was an imposing man, over 6 feet tall, with a gentle demeanor and relentless drive. He spent most of his life as a distributor in the floor covering industry, having risen through the ranks to become president of a major company. He died at his home here July 9 at the age of 93.
He was born here in 1917 and attended local schools and when the United States entered World War II, he went into the Navy and served until the end of hostilities. After his return to civilian life, he joined Felix Half & Bro., a Pittsburgh distributor for Magee Carpets and Armstrong resilient products. He was an aggressive marketer and was proud of his accomplishments. He would point out the company’s annual volume was about $2 million when he started as president and after two years at the helm, volume jumped to $14 million.
Shapiro served as president of the National Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) in 1979-80. His formula for success: “There are three reasons for success—honesty, honesty and honesty.” He also was very insightful and passionate about helping people and, as a consequence, he was the “go to” person for advice.
There are no immediate family survivors. He was predeceased by his wife, Dora; his only child, Philip; two brothers, Herbert and Irwin, and a sister, Ruth.