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Jerome J. Neff, 93, of Barra Cynwyd, a retired furniture entrepreneur, prominent leader and philanthropist, died Saturday, January 6, of age-related deterioration. He died at home.
Skilled in all aspects of business ownership, including purchasing, marketing, sales, transportation, finance, customer service, and employee relations, Mr. Neff owns Delaware Valley Distributing Corp., Prussia Trucking Co., and Mid-Atlantic Furniture Sales Inc. Founded and managed. He grew the company, first based in the King of Prussia and then Harrisburg areas, into one of the nation’s largest furniture wholesalers, with hundreds of retail stores from Massachusetts to Maryland and beyond. We supplied products to.
He built a state-of-the-art warehouse in King of Prussia, managed a fleet of nearly a dozen trucks, and developed long-term sales relationships with Bassett, Vaughan-Bassett, and other furniture manufacturers. He was so successful in predicting furniture sales trends and organizing complex supply chains that the management teams of Bassett and Vaughan Bassett later came to rely on him as a special consultant.
He was inducted into the Tri-State Home Furniture Association Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the first Vaughn Bassett Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for “contributions to the industry.” John D. Bassett III, chairman of the Vaughan Bassett Company, said Mr. Neff was “not only a skilled salesman, but an excellent individual who could step outside of his own field and give advice that benefited the furniture industry as a whole.” He was also a businessman.” Country. “
Mr. Neff served as president of the Philadelphia Furniture Club in the 1960s and ’70s and was frequently quoted in the Inquirer and other publications in articles on taxes, inflation and other business topics. In 1977, he criticized city officials in Forbes magazine for their “inability to enlist the help of shakers and movers to stem the tide of city decline.”
He got his first job as a newspaper carrier at the age of eight, and worked in furniture sales with his father during college. As a philanthropist and fundraiser, Mr. Neff makes loans to his friends and those in need, supporting Doctors Without Borders, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and other local and international ministries. We supported the organization. He especially enjoyed his time as a mentor at Drexel University’s Vajda Institute for Entrepreneurship and his services mentoring his SCORE.
As an advisor, he was frank and honest, and encouraged confidence and pride in his work, his family said. Some of his students said he was like a second father to him. “He believed that instead of telling you what you want to hear, you should tell him what you need to hear,” said his son Bill.
Jerome Joslow Neff was born on November 11, 1930 in Philadelphia. He grew up in Mount Airy, graduated as president of his class at Central High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, accounting, and business administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1952.
He ran cross country and track in high school and enjoyed public speaking and debate. He met Suzanne Goodman at an early age and they married in 1951 and had sons Dan, Richard and Bill. They lived in West Oak Lane and Penn Valley. She passed away in her 1979 year.
He married Nancy Kramer in 1983 and they lived in Barra Cynwyd. She passed away in 2023.
While in college, Mr. Neff served in the Army and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps and at one time served as president of the Philadelphia Young Democrats. He then worked for decades as a Republican pollster in Lower Merion.
He played golf at Green Valley Country Club, had Eagles season tickets for years, and took his sons to Big 5 college basketball games at the Palestra. His favorite time of the sports year was his college basketball playoff tournament in March.
He has traveled to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. He and his first wife insisted that his sons learn Spanish and took them on memorable visits to Guatemala, Panama, and Colombia.
He had season tickets to the Philadelphia Orchestra and liked visiting casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. He was the class reunion director at Central University for a time, and his friends remember his sage advice and sense of humor.
“He was an original,” said his son Dan. “Through his words and actions, he taught us many life lessons.” His son Richard said: “He taught us many life lessons.” He was frank and very funny. At his core, he had a heart of gold and was a giving man. ”
In addition to his sons, Mr. Neff is survived by nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and other relatives. He was preceded in death by a brother.
Services will be held on Wednesday, January 10th at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Adath Israel, 250 North Highland Ave., Merion, PA. 19066. Interment will follow in Haym Salomon Memorial Park, 200 Moores Rd., Malvern, PA. .19355.
Donations in his name may be made to Hillel at Drexel University, 118 N. 34th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. Philadelphia Orchestra (300 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA. 19102)
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