Harold Frank Led Jordan Marsh

Hal Frank, an executive with several now-defunct department store brands, died earlier this summer. He was 87.

Frank began his retail career in 1948 at Abraham & Straus, where he rose to senior vp and gmm for men’s, women’s, children’s, apparel and accessories. He was evp, merchandising and sales promotion, at Macy’s in 1973 and ’74, then at Gold Circle, a division at the time of Federated Department Stores, from 1974 to 1977.

He later became chairman and ceo of both the Jordan Marsh and Bradlees retail chains.

Allen Questrom, the retail executive who chose Frank to run Jordan Marsh, once described him as “an outstanding retail executive with proven business acumen.”

He was given credit for bolstering Bradlees’ operations at a time when the New England economy was struggling.