On Friday, June 20, 2025, longtime home furnishings industry professional George William “Bill” Hart passed away after a 2½-year battle with Bulbar ALS. He was 78.
According to a news release, Hart’s name was well known across the industry, particularly in motion upholstery and case goods circles. His career spanned more than 50 years and included key roles with some of the most recognized brands in the business. From the early 1970s until his retirement in 2022, Hart logged hundreds of thousands of miles representing manufacturers and was known by his colleagues and customers for his professionalism, integrity and personal warmth.
Hart began his career as an independent sales representative for Canterbury House and later joined Mayfair, where he was soon recruited to sister company Berkline. For 19 years, he covered the Iowa and Nebraska territory for Berkline.
In 1996, Bill became the La-Z-Boy representative for Southwest Missouri and parts of Kansas, relocating to Springfield, Missouri. In 1999, he married Kelly Crisco, the former executive director of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association. The two worked side by side for more than two decades, with Crisco managing the home office and market logistics while Hart traveled the territory.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Hart played pivotal roles in growing new territories for emerging companies, including Southern Motion during its early expansion years and Lifestyle Enterprises, where he worked until retiring in 2022. He often drove more than 50,000 miles per year and was consistently named Salesman of the Year by the companies he represented.
Hart’s integrity, reliability, and genuine love for people earned him the respect of retailers and colleagues across the country. Many described him as “one of a kind,” and his reputation as a gentleman and consummate professional set a high standard for others in the field, the news release said.
He is survived by his wife and business partner of 26 years, Kelly Crisco Hart; his son Ben Hart (Samantha) and granddaughters Daisy and Sidney of West Des Moines, Iowa; and a large extended family.
Funeral services and interment with military honors will be held on Friday, June 27, at James River Church in Springfield, Missouri, with arrangements under the care of Gorman-Scharf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to medical missionaries, Dr. Logan and Julie Banks, in care of James River Church, at 6100 North 19th Street in Ozark, Missouri 65721.
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