It wasn't enough for Jerry Hux simply to sell high-quality furniture and accessories. His Beverly Hall Furniture Galleries sold ideas, courtesy of his stores' interior decorators, and they sold dependability, thanks to Hux's own code of merchant responsibility.
"That's why our stores provided a lifetime guarantee on what we sold, well beyond the warranties of the manufacturers. That's why we repaired customers' furniture we had sold them 20 or more years ago," said his son, Mason Hux of Atlanta. "Keeping that policy meant a lot to my dad so that his reputation for integrity remained solid."
Jerry Mason Hux, 64, died Wednesday at his Atlanta home of cardiac arrest. His memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to the Shepherd Spinal Center, 2020 Peachtree Road N.W., Atlanta, GA 30309. H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill, is in charge of arrangements.
The recent recession and slow recovery have been hard on the high-end furniture business, and Beverly Hall Galleries has been no exception. Mr. Hux, who owned and operated the stores since 1984, found it necessary to consolidate.
"It was especially hard to have to close our flagship store on Piedmont Road in Buckhead last year, but it was underperforming" Mason Hux said. "Our stores in Roswell and on Hilton Head, S.C., continue to do well."
The elder Hux pledged that no employee would be let go because of the downsizing, and he made good on that vow, his son said.
Mr. Hux was as stellar a community mover and shaker as he was a merchant. He was president of the Buckhead Rotary Club in 1998-99 and served on the executive committee of the Buckhead Coalition. Sam Massell, the Buckhead Coalition's president, said Mr. Hux maintained a keen interest in Buckhead's affairs and was ready to step up to responsibilities whenever asked.
Alana Shepherd, co-founder of the center that bears her name, said Mr. Hux was a great corporate citizen. "He never missed any of our advisory board meetings nor any of the center's functions, and he was always ready to lend us a hand," she said.
Born in Raleigh, Mr. Hux attended North Carolina State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in furniture manufacturing management. He made a point of staying close with his Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers, said one of them, David Cox of Raleigh, and a group of them would get together four or five times each year. "Jerry was the finest man I ever knew," Cox said.
Another of those fraternity brothers, Michael Rickman of Atlanta, said Mr. Hux was totally selfless. "I would occasionally criticize him for not thinking more of himself," he said. "Jerry was a great asset to Atlanta, and the city could use a lot more like him."
Survivors include Mr. Hux's wife, Anne Hux; another son, Spencer Hux of Charleston, S.C.; a daughter, Emily Lieske of Atlanta; his mother, Stella Hux of Raleigh; his brother, Charles Hux of Topsail, N.C.; and three grandchildren.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
