Friedman dead at 62

Helped grow Carls

-- Casual Living, 10/10/2005 8:18:00 AM

Fred Friedman, president of and partner in Carls in South Florida, died Oct. 5 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 62.

Before Carls, Friedman was involved with partners Mike Baker and Bob Dragin, in Furniture Land furniture stores in the Cleveland market in the 1960s and early ’70s. The partners acquired Carls in 1974 and, with Friedman as president from the outset, it grew from two stores doing $2.5 million to 22 mid-priced to high-end stores — including two new Southern California patio stores — on track to do more than $130 million this year, CEO Mike Baker said.

In 2000, Friedman was honored with the American Heritage Award from the National Interior Furnishings and Design Division of the Anti-Defamation League. He has been active in numerous charities, including ADL, the National Conference for Christians and Jews, United Jewish Appeal, United Way, Boys and Girls Club of America, AIDS Awareness Foundation and the American Red Cross.
In more recent years he was a major supporter of the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he was treated.

Survivors include his wife, Noreen; son Jayson Friedman, who is merchandise manager at Carls; daughter Elyse Morowitz and four grandchildren.

Services were held Sunday, Oct. 9 in Boca Raton, Fla.