IDSA mourns the loss of Edward J. Zagorski, FIDSA from Cerro Gordo, IL. The author of Get Ten Eagles(2011) and a widely admired industrial design educator, Ed was inducted into IDSA's Academy of Fellows in 1979 and received the IDSA Education Award in 1989. Ed passed away on January 10, 2021 at age 99 ¼.
The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) remembers Dan Quinlan, IDSA, who passed away in late 2020. Dan was a member of the Global Consumer Design family at Whirlpool for 28 years before retiring in July.
IDSA is saddened to learn of the passing of Joseph Andrew Papai, Jr. on November 24, 2020 at the age of 80. Joseph was involved with IDSA as a member and served as Treasurer from 1981 to 1984.
A remembrance of Joseph's life and career is posted in the obituary here and below. Memorial donations in his name are appreciated to Studebaker National Museum, 201 Chapin St., South Bend, IN, 46601.
Ralph Caplan, H/IDSA was an inimitable voice in the design world as a writer and educator, and particularly eloquent on design's role in catalyzing social change. "The designer's mission is to make things right," Caplan said in a Design Matters interview in 2010. "There is a difference between making things right and making things nice."
An honorary member of the Industrial Designers Society America (IDSA), Caplan died on June 4 at his home in Manhattan, New York. He was 95.
The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) mourns the loss of Mark Dziersk, FIDSA, a prominent industrial designer and decades-long supporter, leader, and advocate of our Society. Mark passed away suddenly on January 31, 2020 while traveling abroad in Tokyo. He was 60 years old. Mark is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and three daughters.
IDSA mourns the loss of Florence Knoll Bassett H/IDSA, a design pioneer and the guiding light of the company that bears the name of her first husband and close collaborator, who died on January 25, 2019 in Coral Gables, Florida. She was 101 years old.
Ms. Knoll Bassett has been an Honorary IDSA member for over 30 years in recognition for her considerable contributions to architecture, furniture design and open-office planning.
David Smith, L/IDSA, passed away on Feb. 25, 2017 at his home in Columbus, OH, surrounded by his family. He was 84. Colleague and fellow Pratt Institute alum Deane Richardson, FIDSA, was with Smith only a few hours before he passed.
IDSA Fellow William Plumb has passed away at the age of 84 in Piermont, NY. He is survived by his wife of 43 years Catherine Plumb, and children Christian Plumb and Abigail Plumb-Larrick. His daughter also works in design and human factors—in software—at Rockwell Automation. "My father believed in the marriage of beauty and usability at the heart of industrial design," his daughter tells the Society.
Lella Vignelli, an architect who became a product designer and entrepreneur, has died at the age of 82. Along with her husband, the design pioneer from Italy formed half of the "first couple of modern design." Both were IDSA members.
Former executive vice president of design at Knoll International and decorated US Army veteran Donald Rorke, L/IDSA, passed away on Nov. 4, 2016. He was 86.
Rorke was born in 1929 to architect Edwyn Rorke and classical musician Florence Rorke. He attended Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Syracuse University and completed management and design work at Harvard Graduate School of Design.
