James (Jim) Tulley, 51, Sony Electronics vice president and 28-year veteran of the company, died suddenly Saturday at his Algonquin, Illinois, home of undisclosed causes. Tulley began his Sony career in customer service and rose through the ranks to regional manager, director and vice president. Sony Electronics President Mike Fasulo praised Tulley as “a constant inspiration” who will be remembered “for his enthusiasm, optimism, generosity, humor and visionary ideas.” Tulley’s “significant contributions to Sony, our industry and society at large are irreplaceable,” said Fasulo. Tulley’s wife and four children survive.
John Laposky, 51, Twice content director, died of a heart attack Wednesday. Laposky joined Twice as managing editor in 1995, and was promoted to editor in chief nine years later. Laposky, a lover of music, cooking and baseball, is survived by his wife and two sons. Services are planned for 11 a.m. Sunday at Schoem’s Menorah Chapel in Paramus, New Jersey. Donations can be made in his memory to Phillies Charities, the American Heart Association or the Tipitina's Foundation.
Saul Robbins, 89, who turned a business selling stereophonic electronic components in the back of his father-in-law’s haberdashery in Wayne, Pennsylvania, into the Mid-Atlantic regional AV specialty retail chain HiFi House, died Friday after a brief illness. HiFi House focused on lines that were not broadly distributed but were considered premier. HiFi House differentiated itself early on by having showrooms where salespeople could demonstrate systems, and Robbins was one of the first specialty AV retailers to embrace video. Robbins’ sense of emerging trends led him to carry the Advent Video Beam large-screen projection system, becoming an early retail pioneer of big-screen TVs. HiFi House was one of the first specialty AV retailers to embrace custom installation, another business opportunity Robbins identified early on. Robbins is survived by his wife and four children, including his son Jon, executive director of the Home Technology Specialists of America.
Koyo Yokoi, 72, a 25-year TDK sales and marketing veteran who led U.S. market development for all the company’s recording media technology until his retirement in 2007, died of cancer. Yokoi personally led TDK’s sales and marketing initiatives for a host of new recording format introductions, including VHS video cassettes, recordable CD, DVD and Blu-ray media and medical-grade CD and DVD recording systems. He built and maintained TDK partnerships with key retailers, including Best Buy, Costco, Target, Tower Records, Walgreens and Walmart. His wife and children survive.
Wayne Huizenga, 80, onetime Blockbuster Video owner, died of cancer Friday at his Fort Lauderdale home. Huizenga bought Blockbuster in 1987 and helped build it into a $4 billion business with 3,700 stores in 11 countries. He sold Blockbuster to Viacom for $8.5 billion in stock in 1994, and founded AutoNation, from which he retired as chairman at the end of 2002. He also founded Waste Management before buying Blockbuster. “Huizenga's lifelong commitment to our community, his philanthropy and his entrepreneurial spirit ensure that the Huizenga family legacy will live on in South Florida,” said Vincent Viola, owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, one of three professional sports franchises Huizenga owned or founded. Survivors include four children.
Russ Solomon, 92, founder of the Tower Records retail empire, died of a heart attack Sunday at his Sacramento home. Solomon built Tower from a single store in 1960 to a $1 billion-a-year international chain with 240 outlets. He owned 15 percent of the company when it filed for bankruptcy in 2006. Even after Tower’s demise, Solomon opened Resurrection Records in one of Tower’s former Sacramento flagship stores in 2007 (see 0703060138) and ran it for three years before selling it to a local entrepreneur. Solomon was one of the "architects" of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, later renamed the Music Business Association, blogged Jim Donio, the trade group's president. Solomon's survivors include his wife and two sons.
Arnie Nudell, 80, died Nov. 11 of complications from pneumonia. Nudell co-founded loudspeaker maker Infinity Systems in his garage with Cary Christie and John Ulrick in 1968. In a 1995 Stereophile column, audio reviewer Robert Harley, now editor-in-chief of The Absolute Sound, called Nudell one of a handful of designers who could "justifiably be called founding members of the high-end audio industry.” Nudell worked with PS Audio co-founder Paul McGowan to create Genesis Technologies, which produced the $22,000 Genesis II.5 speaker system. A website under construction, www.arnienudell.com, will memorialize Nudell's accomplishments and provide a platform to post remembrances, said McGowan.
Industry consultant John Stiernberg, 66, died Saturday of cancer. Stiernberg founded Stiernberg Consulting in 1993 with his wife, Jeanne, serving the AV, music and entertainment technology industries. He's survived by his wife, mother, a brother, niece and nephew. The family suggested a donation to the NAMM Foundation or Bay City United Methodist Church, Bay City, Oregon.
Jim Barry, 71, CTA's "Digital Answer Man" for the past 22 years, died of cancer Friday at his Boston-area home. In his role as industry spokesman for CTA (then CEA), Barry traveled the country showcasing and explaining technology products to consumers, mainly through TV and radio appearances on local news shows. CTA President Gary Shapiro in a statement hailed Barry as “a remarkable person who was dedicated to and passionate about our industry." Barry was a "tireless" media spokesman who "helped introduce millions of consumers to the latest tech innovations,” said Shapiro. Before his CTA role, Barry held editorships of Dealerscope and Video magazines. His wife and two daughters survive.
Paul Otellini, 66, former Intel CEO, died in his sleep Monday, the company said. In eight years at the helm starting in 2005, the chipmaker got Apple's PC business and focused on "security, software and mobile communications." Otellini, a four-time CES keynoter, was "an incredible leader and visionary," said CTA President Gary Shapiro. Otellini is survived by his wife, son and daughter. Other details weren't available.