CHICAGO, Illinios — Mel Letchinger, considered by many to be one of the truly great textile importing pioneers, passed away February 4 after a year’s bout with cancer. Mel was born  November 20th 1928. He would have been 85 this fall.

According to his wife Mimi, Mel Letchinger’s lifetime career in the home textile fabric business industry began by accident and as a result of contracting Malaria during his service in the US Army stationed in Korea.  When he was  separated from the service in 1953, he was told that the only thing that disease prevented him from doing was working in a greenhouse; and that was exactly what he’d been educated for with a degree in Floriculture from the University of Illinois.

Through the intersession of a family friend who was in the fabric business, Mel was introduced to and hired to serve as a ‘trainee’ in the Chicago office of Cohn Hall & Marx.  After a year or so of folding samples and nurturing customers, he was assigned his first territory:  Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.  Finding that territory very unpromising for himself and his young family, he sought another position. He found that work at Tempo Fabrics and over several years in the 1960’s helped that Chicago-based jobber grow to become a national player by establishing showrooms and sales personnel in several US cities.

In 1971 he was invited to join the firm of Decorator Industries,  a ‘made-to-measure’ drapery manufacturer based in Pittsburgh.  Again, he helped that company grow though his knowledge of the key national buyers. In the late 1970’s he returned to Chicago representing Covington Fabrics and several other converters. 

Mel Letchinger

 In 1975, Mel Teamed upwith partner Harold Purcell and launched Purcell & Letchinger. 

“We persevered and travelled and sold hard in separate directions,” remembers Harold Purcell who is now retired and living in Chicago. “We brought new fresh product to the market, all before the single Euro currency. We landed products in a USA warehouse, freight and duty inclusive, and translated the currencies. We established showrooms and an advertising concept. Purcell & Letchinger became the sales pioneers of a totally fresh concept. Mel and I became wondeful partners which lasted many years with fond memories.”

While developing the international scope of P&L, Mel became a friend and an admired colleague of the overseas mill owners and executives his firm represented.  One of his former business associates, who upon hearing of Mel’s death in early February wrote to his family: “Mel’s vitality, enthusiasm and warmth was contagious; he had a great talent for being able to talk to all kinds of people which surely contributed to his success”.

In terms of our industry, Ellen Letchinger, Mel’s daughter, said “he worked for Cohen Hall Marx, Tempo, Decorator Industries and then became a sales agent in mid life. Along with Harold Purcell, Mel forged the business P&L. After they sold it dad stayed busy up until he got sick last year. He was a very positive person. He left the textile industry on a high note. After that he worked in the lawn and garden market for a family business and finally did a great deal of volunteering with inner city grade school children which he really loved and also volunteered at Northwestern Hospital here in Chicago.”

“Personally I think I was one lucky girl to have had him for a dad.  My two brothers I know feel the same. He really was a happy gentle man. My dad sure had great fun in this industry that is for sure! Both my parents grew up on the South Side of Chicago and remained city dwellers to this day. Family, friends, travel, golf, cards with the guys, Temple, his home in Wisconsin and work were all equally important parts of dad’s life.”  

Mel left behind his wife Mimi who fondly remembers her husband as “the joyous centerpiece of our lives,” his daughter Ellen and his two sons, Richard and Michael Letchinger. The sons are both married and each has two children.