Robert LeFort, 82, executive, sailor

Robert "Jack" LeFort, 82, of Stuart, Fla., and Ocean City, N.J., former chairman of a commercial design firm whose passions were family, the University of Pennsylvania, and sailing, died of a stroke Friday at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart.

After graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. LeFort joined his father's firm, Robert LeFort Design Associates, a furniture distributor. He eventually collaborated with Philadelphia architects to design interior office space and in 1972 established Interspace Inc. One of the firm's early projects was the Arco building in Philadelphia, for which it designed a then-innovative open office plan.

Among the company's more prominent projects were the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, Chrysler's World Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., and the SmithKline tower and the Morgan Lewis law offices in Philadelphia. As head of the company, he was a mentor and encouraged many on his staff to open their own real estate or design firms, said his son, Jack.

In 1982, when his son became Interspace president, Mr. LeFort became chairman. He was a consultant to the new owners after the firm was sold to PHH Group in 1987. By then Interspace had nine regional offices.

Mr. LeFort grew up in Germantown and spent summers in Ocean City, N.J., where he learned to sail. He graduated from William Penn Charter School. During World War II he served in the Merchant Marine on troop ships in the Atlantic.

After the war, he earned a bachelor's degree from Penn and became an ardent Quaker football fan. He was a founder and president of the Penn Football Club and might have held the record for attending home games, his son said. Two years ago Penn honored Mr. LeFort by naming its athletic offices after him.

Mr. LeFort was a member of Penn's sailing team as an undergraduate and later coached the team. He also was a founder and coach of the Martin County Sailing Team in Florida. For the last decade, he had wintered in Florida and summered in Ocean City. Previously, he had lived in Berwyn and then in Center City.

He was past commodore of the Ocean City Yacht Club and founded the club's Heart Cup racing event to benefit the Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point. He attended the 25th anniversary of the race this summer.

A world-class sailor who won national and regional championships, Mr. LeFort was past vice president of the U.S. Sailing Association. He was the founder of the U.S. Sailing Center of Martin County in Stuart and served as president for many years before becoming chairman emeritus of the board. The center is his greatest legacy to sailing, his son said. Under his guidance it became one of two Olympic training sites in the United States. The center also organizes regattas and runs a program to teach youngsters to sail.

In addition to his son, Mr. LeFort is survived by his wife of 59 years, Julie Gibson LeFort, and two grandsons.

A remembrance celebration will be at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the U.S. Sailing Center of Martin County, 1955 N.E. Indian River Dr., Jensen Beach, Fla. 34957.

Memorial donations may be made to the U.S. Sailing Center for a scholarship fund to help children learn to sail.