Andrew Major died Friday, October 15, at New York City. He was the beloved husband of Flora and father of Katherine Major Firman and Nicholas Major. Loving grandfather of Linsay Firman.A legend in the textile industry, fondly known as ”The King of the Mills.”
Born in Hungary in 1921, educated in Switzerland and England, served in the U.S. Army as a decorated veteran of the Pacific Theater.
After the war he joined Mastercraft Weaving Corporation in New Jersey as a trainee and in 1960 became the president of the company which had moved to North Carolina.
In 1969 he acquired the business, now called Mastercraft Corp., and in 1976 sold it to Collins & Aikman, where he became president of C & A’s Decorative Fabric group and its seven plants and 6000 employees in 1981.
In 1984 he was elected to the C & A Board. In 1994, at his retirement, the original Mastercraft plant, which he had built, was renamed in his honor. But his retirement was short-lived, as he became both a consultant to Cone Mills and the founder of their Cone Jacquards operation.
In 1999 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Joan Fabrics Corp. The recipient of numerous industry and civic awards, including the first Lifetime Leadership Award from Dupont in 1995, which embodied his creativity, devotion and legendary status in the industry. In 2002 he received ”The Trailblazer Award” and was inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame.
He will always be remembered for his wit, generosity and love of life. A private family funeral will be held at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers please send contributions to the Andrew Major Scholarship Fund at Isothermal Community College, P.O. Box 804, 288 ICC Loop Road, Spindale, N.C. 28160.
MAJOR, ANDREW
- TEC5 US ARMY
- DATE OF BIRTH: 08/18/1921
- DATE OF DEATH: 10/15/2004
- BURIED AT: SECTION 5-OO ROW 10 SITE 6
- ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard