Retired Crate & Barrel CEO Barbara Turf dies at 71

New York -- Barbara Turf, 71, former CEO of Crate and Barrel, died July 12, at Evanston Hospital, of pancreatic cancer, the Chicago Tribune reported.



Turf was named CEO in 2008, after Crate & Barrel founder and longtime chief executive Gordon Segal retired. She joined Crate and Barrel as a part-time saleswoman in 1967, moving to its corporate headquarters in 1974. Turf retired as CEO in 2012 and joined the company's board of directors, the company said in a statement.



“Barbara Turf’s impeccable eye for style, trend and design defined the merchandising and marketing vision of Crate & Barrel,” company CEO Sascha Bopp said in a statement. “She touched the lives of thousands of associates and developed invaluable relationships with vendors across the globe. Crate & Barrel would not be the company it is today without Barbara’s leadership. She will be missed.”