Exeter >> The announcement came on a Friday evening early in 2017: The region lost iconic retailer and philanthropist Albert Boscov on Feb. 10. Boscov had led the department store chain that bears his family name. He was 87-years-old.
Boscov’s death came a little more than one week after he sent a letter to employees announcing that he was battling terminal cancer. He passed away at home – his wife Eunice and three daughters at his side.
The announcement of Boscov’s death was made “with profound sadness” by his nephew Jim Boscov, CEO and vice chairman of Boscov’s Department Store LLC.
“Albert Boscov was truly one of the giants in the retail industry,” Jim Boscov said in a statement. “He was a man of vision and passion and he had a profound influence on the retail business community and the community at large.”
Word of Boscov’s death began to spread rapidly, and over the next several days, statements and social media posts were issued from customers, politicians and colleagues.
Jim Boscov told Digital First Media the day after Albert Boscov’s, death that he had been hearing from people who wanted to share memories about how Boscov had personally impacted them over the years.
“We’ve been hearing just one thing after another. He lived his life doing good things for people – not just good business. He will be remembered for being more than just the world’s best merchant,” Boscov said.
On Feb. 26, more than 1,000 friends, family, co-workers and community members turned out to celebrate Boscov’s life with a memorial service held at the Santander Arena in Reading – standing in a line that stretched around the block on Penn Street.
Giant illustrated props of Boscov dressed as a superhero taking flight were displayed on the stage. Those who knew Boscov said he truly was a superhero in real life.
“Superheroes are usually tall, fictional characters who wear spandex costumes with capes. They have a mask and fly around subduing bad guys,” former Reading Mayor Tom McMahon said during the event. “Our superhero was not fictional and not too tall. He was just five foot seven. He did not have a mask or a costume but did seem airborne. He was everywhere. He flew at the speed of light from store to store, city to city, chasing his dreams.”
In November, Boscov’s grandchildren released a book celebrating Boscov’s life. “Did You Boscov Today?” is filled with dozens of photos, drawings by local artists and includes more than 100 stories that give “insight into Al Boscov’s warmth, genius, energy and drive,” according to the online description of the book.
The title of the book references the promotion “Did You Boscov Today” that the retail chain carried out each year.
Albert Boscov was born in 1929, the youngest son of Solomon and Ethel Boscov. Boscov’s Department store originally started as a mobile business in 1914, with Solomon taking merchandise to the end of the trolley line and walking from farm to farm – selling to farmers and sleeping in their barns. He opened his first brick and mortar store in 1918 – at Ninth and Pike streets in Reading.
Boscov and his siblings worked in the store in downtown Reading as children – Albert Boscov started working at the store when he was six.
In an interview with Digital First Media in 2014, Boscov said before he started to work in the store, he used to play in the store. He said at the time that retail can be fun, and that he spent his career playing in the stores to make the retail experience fun for customers through promotions, events and customer service.
After college, in 1954, Boscov joined the company full-time. The company began to grow, and by 2005, the chain had 39 stores doing more than $1 billion in sales. Boscov retired in 2006 – but returned in 2008 after the company filed for bankruptcy. Under his leadership once again, the company emerged from bankruptcy in 2009 and returned to profitability.
In 2013, Boscov was inducted into the Pennsylvania Retailers’ Association Hall of Fame – the organization’s first inductee.
Boscov’s is now the largest family-owned department store chain in the nation, with 47 stores in seven states.
Boscov is known for his philanthropy and his commitment to the redevelopment of the City of Reading including: Our City Reading Inc.; the development of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts; the Reading Movies 11 and IMAX; and the development of the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Reading, which opened in 2016.
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