Oskar R. Huber, 78, furniture retailer

Oskar Richard Huber, 78, longtime president of the Oskar Huber Furniture store chain, died Thursday in Abington Hospice at Warminster of complications from a heart attack three weeks ago.

Mr. Huber was raised in Philadelphia's Lawndale section, where his father founded the furniture company in 1927. He attended high school at the Admiral Farragut Academy, a boarding school then in Toms River, N.J.

After attending the U.S. Naval Academy for three years, he went to work in his father's business in 1956, helping to expand from the original store in Philadelphia to locations in Ship Bottom, N.J., and Southampton, Bucks County.

He retired in 1995, turning management of the business over to his sons.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2008, after having expanded to nine stores. It emerged from bankruptcy last year with two stores.

Those locations, in Southampton and Ship Bottom, will be closed Tuesday in Mr. Huber's honor, said his oldest son, Bob.

"He was well-regarded by his employees. They really liked him. He was a people person," Bob Huber said. "He was very community-minded and would help a lot of people whenever he saw the need."

Mr. Huber was on the board of trustees of the Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and was a member of the Lu Lu Shrine Temple in Plymouth Meeting, which raised money for the Shriners Hospital, his son said. He was temple leader, known as the potentate, in 1980.

He was also on the board of the Masonic Home in Lafayette Hill and was a member of the Masons for more than 50 years, according to the website of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Huber's business interests extended beyond the furniture stores. He was a director of the Cheltenham Federal Savings & Loan Association, which merged with North East Federal Savings & Loan in 1988 to form Prime Bancorp Inc. He then was chairman of Prime Bancorp for several years in the 1990s. It was sold in 1999.

Mr. Huber's hobbies included sailing in the bays around Long Beach Island, N.J. He also liked to ski, usually in Vermont, and got his whole family involved in the sport, his son said.

In addition to his son, Mr. Huber is survived by his wife of 54 years, Doris; and sons Ron, Don, and Glenn; 20 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at St. John's United Methodist Church, 820 Almshouse Rd., Ivyland, Pa. 18974. Visitation begins at 9 a.m.