Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Former North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) employee Thomas Lee Delph passed away on January 14, 2026 at the age of 92.
Tom began working with NHPA, known at the time as the National Retail Hardware Association (NRHA), after his time serving in the U.S. Army. For 26 years, Tom worked in editorial, sales and marketing and associate publishing roles with NHPA.
Tom then joined Chilton Publishing as a group publisher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he oversaw four trade publications. Beyond retirement, Tom became the program director for the Young Retailer of the Year program at NRHA and later served as senior account director for The Hardware Connection, where he helped coordinate and host the Hardware Connection Beacon Awards.
A huge IU fan, Tom carried a picture of Bobby Knight in his wallet for years and kept his IU football and basketball season tickets when he lived in Philadelphia. He was a varsity scoring runner on the Anderson Indians State Champion cross country team and a walk-on member of the Indiana University cross country team as a freshman. He loved coaching little league baseball and basketball in his free time and credits his father for his love for sports and his mother for teaching him to work hard, be kind and be positive under all conditions.
Tom leaves behind his daughters Deborah Cox, Stephanie Haroldson (Michael), Angela Remaklus (James), Sara Beth Gifford, Carol Williams (Stan), Kim Freeman (Pamela), ‘son’ Dane Danner and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
