Robert Pew
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Robert Cunningham Pew II (June 4, 1923 – December 22, 2012) was an American businessman and chairman of
Steelcase Steelcase Inc. is an international manufacturer of furniture, casegoods, seating, and storage and partitioning systems for offices, hospitals, classrooms, and residential interiors. It is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. ...
and played a role in
Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale Charter Township, Michigan, Allendale, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on ...
's development in the 1980s. Pew joined Steelcase in 1952 and served as official chairman through 1974 until 1999. He became an official member of the GVSU board from 1985 to 1988. In the 1990s, Pew's organization became the world's largest producer and distributor of office furniture.


Personal life

Pew was born in
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...
on June 4, 1923. He served in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in years 1942 and 1945 and completed over 50 missions as a fighter pilot captain. In 1989,
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
awarded Pew with the National Trust Historic Preservation Award. The following year, 1990, ''Forbes'' Magazine nominated Pew and his family as one of the world's 25 wealthiest families. He died in
Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach, Florida, ...
on December 22, 2012. He died of natural causes, aged 89, preceded in death by his wife Mary Idema Pew, survived by sons Robert Cunningham Pew III and John, daughter Kate Wolters.


References

1923 births 2012 deaths Philanthropists from New York (state) Businesspeople from Syracuse, New York Grand Valley State University people United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American philanthropists United States Army Air Forces officers American World War II fighter pilots United States Air Force officers United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War {{US-business-bio-1920s-stub