David Lawrence Wolfe

David Lawrence Wolfe, former senior Vice President of Neiman Marcus and the man who Stanley Marcus cited in his book, Minding the Store, as “the greatest salesman he ever knew,” passed away at the age of 78 on April 20, 2017 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas following a stroke two days earlier. A funeral service will be held on May 6, 2017 at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas at 10:00am, and he will be laid to rest in Reading, Pennsylvania on May 13, 2017 next to his mother and father.

David was born October 18, 1938 in Reading, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Saint Joseph’s University in 1960, he served in the U.S. Army as a public information officer and then worked for President Lyndon Johnson. Following his public service career, he was hired by Mr. Stanley Marcus as an executive trainee at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas. Quick to learn and a natural leader, he managed couture and was later known for having directed the highly acclaimed Neiman Marcus fur division and seasonal catalogs during the 70’s and 80’s.

He subsequently consulted for such clients as Italian couturier Renato Balestra, Holt Renfew, Stanley Korshak, and the Danish fur company Birger Christensen. During his retail career, he traveled around the world, including the former Soviet Union to buy sables for Neiman Marcus. There, he encountered many prominent Russians including Breznev and Andropov. Also, David co-hosted The Store, a movie about Neiman Marcus, made public appearances on CBS news and The Today Show, and he was featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous during one of his jaunts to the former Soviet Union.

As a noted art collector, he enjoyed amassing a highly acclaimed modern and contemporary art collection, which is currently being donated to his alma mater, Saint Joseph’s University. His hope was that his collection will inspire students to “make art part of their life.” Other than art, friends, and family, the other greatest sources of joy in his life were his beloved French bulldogs, Hugo Boss, and the late Dinky.

David is survived by his partner of 27 years, Bjorgvin Berndsen, and two cousins in Reading, Pennsylvania, Paul and Donna Lerch as well as their son and daughter, Scott and Sherry Lerch and their children. Additionally, he had very close friendships and extended family with Dr. Nils Nielsen of Denmark, Gregory Coyle of Florida, and Steven Coyle of Washington, DC.