CANFIELD, Ohio – Longtime furniture industry veteran John Scarsella Jr. passed away Dec. 22 at the age of 81.
Scarsella was born March 3, 1942, in Youngstown, Ohio, and while in school joined his family’s furniture and appliance retail store, Scarsella Furniture. Following his graduation from Youngstown State University, he joined the U.S. Marine Corp and served a tour of duty in Vietnam before retiring as a captain.
When he left the service in 1968, he returned to Northeast Ohio and opened a small furniture store called The Homestead House in the Youngstown suburb of Boardman. Over the next 15 years, he expanded the operation to include a 40,000-square-foot showroom, the first ever Pennsylvania House Gallery, a carpet center, a home restoration business, and two of the first La-Z-Boy Showcase Shoppes in the country.
In the late 1970s, Scarsella transitioned from the retail to the manufacturing side of the industry, focusing on small, fledgling furniture producers. Over the next 23 years, he worked with several companies across North America, including Jamestown Sterling, Hale of Vermont and Jasper Cabinet.
In 1994, Scarsella began working with Canadian solid wood bedroom producer Durham Furniture, retiring as CEO in 2006. One of the highlights of Scarsella’s career was spearheading a partnership between Durham Furniture and the Mount Vernon Ladies Assn., the organization charged with preserving and maintaining the home and legacy of George Washington.
Scarsella is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jean, four sons and nine grandchildren.
Calling hours will be 2-6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 4, at the Higgins-Reardon funeral home in Canfield, Ohio. A military funeral will be held at 12: 15 p.m., Friday, Jan. 5, at the Western Reserve National Cemetery in Seville, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks any memorials go to a charity of your choice.