DIX HILLS, NY—Mort Shapiro, former executive vice president of sales for Covington Fabrics died June 18 at the age of 78 after a  6 ½ year battle with cancer.

He was born August 14, 1933.

He is survived by his wife Joyce and three sons; Larry, 48; Doug, 52 and Josh, 38; also five grandchildren Sam, Jack, Enzo, Ella and Jordyn. 

Shapiro was with Covington for 37 years, from 1956 until his retirement in 1993. He saw the company grow from $30 million in sales to $140 million when goods were $1.25 a yard. He was responsible for sales and the design studio and helped make Covington one of the largest fabric converters of its time.

Shapiro will be remembered as a quintessential salesman whom everyone trusted and admired. He was like a son to Ben Gilmore, the founder of Covington and worked closely with Abby Gilmore, who followed her father in management.

After he retired in 1993, he helped Kravet establish Portfolio, its converted fabrics division and a year later helped David Li establish ADF, a China based mill.

“My father loved nature and always had chickens, ducks and rabbits behind our house when we were growing up,” said Larry Shapiro, one of Mort’s three sons. Mort’s last days included his attendance at his grandson Sam’s bar mitzvah June 9. “That was something dad vowed he would do, the day he found out he had cancer,” Larry said.