Richard Hearne – an obituary

Richard had been a Liveryman since 1977 and we offer our sincere condolences to his family

The following obituary is provided by his family.

Richard Hearne  (1939-2016) 

Richard Hearne – Dick or Dickie to most people – was a furniture man through and through. His family has been involved with furniture for six generations and continue to be so.  Richard was a link with the heroic period of mass-produced furniture in the Wycombe area.  He joined the Furniture Makers’ Company in 1977, spending almost 40 years as a member.

Richard’s great great grandfather established a furniture business, later known as Dancer and Hearne. He grew up in a warm immediate family surrounded by a wide extended family, many of whom worked in the business.   After school at Berkhamsted Richard could have gone to university but chose instead to join the family firm.  National service came quite soon and after attending Mons Officer Cadet School he was awarded a commission in the Royal Engineers and assigned to Germany.   This was a period he described as mainly throwing bridges over rivers, broken by lively mess games and occasional visits to Hamburg

In 1961 he rejoined Dancer and Hearne and soon became Works Director, with his father as Managing Director and his great uncle as Chairman.   At that time the area still had many large-scale furniture factories.  In his early 20s it was quite a challenge to take charge of a fully unionized works with over 300 people. The market for simple wooden chairs became progressively more challenging and was concentrated mainly on low-margin public sector contracts, especially for schools.  In 1967 the business was sold to Parker Knoll. 

In 1965 Richard had left and acquired Tyzacks, a smaller firm specializing in reproduction furniture.  By coincidence this was where his father Eric had served his apprenticeship many years previously.  Richard built up the business, travelling widely in Europe and finding receptive markets there.  He also found time to teach furniture at Wycombe College and to sit on the council of the local furniture manufacturers.

Having sold Tyzacks in 1986 Richard joined his father in Period Furniture Showrooms in Beaconsfield, a retail business selling and restoring antiques and good quality reproduction furniture.   The business prospered in this mode for many years and has since broadened to include soft furnishings.   Hearnes of Beaconsfield is now run by Richard’s son Nick.

Work was important to Richard and gave rhythm to his life.  There were, however, many other interests and enthusiasms – music and opera, Hampshire Down sheep and above all France.   There was French food and wine, the French language, French life and also French furniture, in which he traded.

He was married first to Pam, with whom he had three children, and then to Paula.  All survive him. 

Sadly, his last years were marked by a severe and progressive illness, bravely borne.  

He treated people with friendliness and respect, an approach which earned respect in turn and which stood him in good stead both in business and in life.  He was a traditional Englishman, true to his generation and social stamp.  He had firm values and beliefs – the institutions of our country, the Church of England, the importance of family life, and the value of good English furniture.