Edward A. Arditti, Sr.

Edward A. Arditti, Sr., age 84, of Conover, NC, passed away peacefully on May 30, 2017 at his residence, following a period of declining health. Born May 9, 1933 in New York, NY, the son of the late Albert Aaron Arditti and Diana Rebby Arditti.

Ed was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Conover, NC and was the founder and CEO of Regency House Inc., Ardex Inc., and Highland Glass Industries. Ed graduated from Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY in 1951 and attended Columbia College, Columbia University, NYC, where he was enrolled in US Navy Contract Midshipman Program until 1954. He started his business career as a salesman for City Service Oil Co. in 1955 until 1959. In 1960 he joined the family gift and glass import business as Vice President.

In July 1969, while on a business trip to Atlanta, he met the love of his life, Shirley, and they married in November 1969. He was blessed with 3 sons, 2 daughters, 7 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. The couple moved to Hickory, NC in 1970 where he was the founder and CEO of Regency House Inc., Ardex Inc., and Highland Glass Industries. In 1980, Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. appointed Ed North Carolina Ambassador to the World, in recognition of his companies being the leading exporter of North Carolina Furniture to the rest of the world.

In 1992, he founded the Edward A. Arditti Charitable Foundation and served on the Board of the Catawba Medical Foundation for many years. Ed and his wife Shirley were benefactors in 1998 providing the indoor swimming pool at the Fitness Plus Center on the hospital campus and were Lenoir-Rhyne Honor Roll Donors. Active at The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, they created The Shirley and Edward A. Arditti Endowment for Kidney Transplantation, The Joshua Thomas Arditti Endowment for Cancer Research and The Edward Thomas Arditti Fund for Urology

Ed retired in 2004 after battling kidney disease and he received a life saving kidney transplant in 2007. He devoted his remaining time and efforts to his wife, family, friends, church and charitable pursuits.

In addition to his parents, his sister, Lucille Arditti Weinstein, preceded Ed in death.

Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Shirley Samples Arditti; daughters, Dr. Joyce Arditti, PhD. of Blacksburg, VA; and Denise Arditti-Agenos and husband Guy Agenos of Kill Devil Hills, NC; sons, Dr. Douglas Arditti, DNP and spouse Rob Chamberlain of Portland, OR; Jeff Arditti and wife Elizabeth of Hickory, NC; and Edward “Ted” Arditti, Jr. and wife Kristin of Hangzhou, China; brother, Arthur Arditti and wife Shirley of Englewood, FL; grandchildren, Ethan Ireland, Alex Arditti, Will Arditti, Austin Arditti, Alanis Arditti, Josh Arditti, Tommy Arditti, Henry Arditti, Julia Agenos and Thierry Agenos.

A service of remembrance and a celebration of Ed’s life will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, June 4, 2017, at St. John’s Lutheran Church with Rev. Scott Johnson and Rev. Anton Lagoutine officiating. The committal service will follow in the Chapel Mausoleum of Catawba Memorial Park in Hickory, NC. The family will receive friends at the church from 1:30 to 3:00 PM prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to: Edward A. Arditti Charitable Foundation, PO Box 221, Hickory, NC, 28603 or to St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2126 St. Johns Church Road, Conover, NC, 28613.

Ed’s sons and grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Condolences may be sent to the Arditti family at www.drumfh-conover.com.

The Arditti family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Conover, NC.