In Memoriam

The notable entrepreneurs who died in 2007 helped to shape some of the major trends in business in the past 50 years, from the rise of socially responsible business to the advent of quality manufacturing.

Liz Claiborne, 78, fashion designer, in New York City. Starting in the late 1970s, Claiborne was one of the first to create apparel for the expanding ranks of women in the corporate world. Her outfits boasted clean lines and affordable prices. “She made the whole staff feel like they were part of this fantastic, wonderful mission,” says Dana Buchman, a protégé who runs her own label within Claiborne, a company with $5 billion in annual sales. “I don’t know if today’s female entrepreneurs know how groundbreaking she was. She didn’t hog the spotlight, but she changed the way women dressed for work.”

Warren Avis, 92, founder of Avis Rent A Car, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A former pilot, Avis founded a car rental company in 1946 to address one of his chief frustrations--finding an available cab at the airport. His company quickly became the nation’s second largest car rental business in terms of market share, a position it maintained for decades.

William Becker, 85, the creator of Motel 6, near Kingman, Arizona. On a cross-country trip in 1960, Becker couldn’t find cheap motel rooms. So he decided to start his own chain. Motel 6 debuted in Santa Barbara, California, in 1962, with 54 Spartan rooms, no closets, coin-operated TV sets, and a nightly rate of $6. Today, there are more than 800 Motel 6’s, and the average room goes for about $45 per night.

Charlie Cary, 89, sailing entrepreneur, in Vero Beach, Florida. At 50, Cary and his wife, Ginny, moved to the British Virgin Islands, where they launched the Moorings, a company that offered boat rentals and charter trips. Starting with half a dozen 35-foot yachts, Cary eventually built outposts on five continents, from Baja to Corfu to Tahiti. “It was always very important to Charlie that we were building a global company,” says Lex Raas, president of the Moorings, noting that Cary employed local workers whenever possible.

Anthony De Santis, 93, Chicago theater owner and restaurateur, in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. In its heyday in the 1960s, De Santis’s Drury Lane Theatre was known for its fabulous chandeliers and acts like Phyllis Diller and Debbie Reynolds. A high school dropout, De Santis worked in a paint factory until he nearly died in a plant explosion. After that, he decided to pursue a safer career, getting into restaurants and, ultimately, show business.

Bob Evans, 89, restaurateur, in Cleveland. If it weren’t for the interstate highway system, Bob Evans might never have become a household name. Beginning with a 12-stool diner in Gallipolis, Ohio, he built a loyal following with truck drivers for his hearty breakfasts. Today, the company runs 579 restaurants, and Bob Evans-brand sausage, hash browns, and breads are sold in supermarkets nationwide. In all, the business has $1.6 billion in annual sales and 50,000 employees.

Ernest Gallo, 97, winemaker and co-founder of Gallo Winery, in Modesto, California. When Ernest and Julio Gallo founded their winery in Modesto in 1933, a number of competitors were starting up in Napa Valley. Gallo emerged from the pack by making affordable wine. After World War II, the company targeted the emerging middle class. Today, Gallo sells one out of every four bottles of wine purchased in the United States each year.

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