Williams-Sonoma Founder Dies

Chuck Williams, founder of Williams-Sonoma (San Francisco), died Saturday, Dec. 5, in his sleep of natural causes at the age of 100, reports The New York Times.

Williams, who was born Charles Edward Williams on Oct. 2, 1915, in Jacksonville, Fla., opened the first Williams-Sonoma in Sonoma, Calif., in 1956. There, he offered cookware imported from France that were uncommon in the U.S., such as sauté pans, bains-marie and fish poachers.

The company has grown to more than 600 stores and $4.7 billion in net revenue. Williams sold the company in 1978 but remained its public face. In 1983, the company went public, and today incorporates an entire home furnishings business that includes Pottery Barn, PBteen, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma Home.