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A Do it Best Corp. board member has passed away.
Richard “Dick” McCoy, 63, of Cambridge, Ohio, passed away on March 11 at the Cleveland Clinic after a yearlong battle with a respiratory illness.
Dick was a well-known and highly respected second-generation hardware store owner, with seven locations throughout Southeastern Ohio. Orme Do it Best® Hardware traces its roots to its founding in 1869 and has been a member of Do it Best since 1963. At the time of his passing, Dick was president of Orme Hardware and had recently been elected to his co-op’s board of directors.
“Dick’s passing brings a great deal of sadness for all of us,” says Jim Lehrer, chairman of the Do it Best Corp. board. “I immediately thought about what a loss this is for our industry, for his community and his stores, and most of all, for his family. His optimistic spirit and his business model of taking underperforming stores and making them great again is a testament to how our independent retailers can thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family.”
Dick began his career in the hardware business working in his father’s store when he was in the fifth grade. The hours he worked that summer not only earned him a Rayovac Sportsman lantern but nurtured in him a love of helping customers with their projects. He went on to attend Urbana University, where he played on the varsity golf team and earned his degree in Business Administration in 1975. He maintained his connection to his alma mater through the years and in March 2015, he was elected to the school’s Board of Trustees.
He and his father purchased their second store location in 1967, which launched a lifelong practice of finding stagnant neighborhood hardware stores and turning them into successful, community-focused businesses. He took great pride in retaining many of each store’s staff during each acquisition.
“Dick was a great man,” says Do it Best Corp. President & CEO Dan Starr. “He was caring, kind and a true professional, as well as an outstanding independent retailer. Above all, he was a man of great integrity. He and his wife Karen were a wonderful and formidable team.”
Dick is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Karen, children Brandon (Heather), Cameron (Alyson) and Emily, father Jack, sister Beth (Mark) Wharton and brothers Mark (Susi) McCoy and Sam (Linda) McCoy, granddaughter Ruby and many nieces and nephews.
