NEW YORK — Richard Alan Winston, sales executive vice president of Harry Winston Inc. and a nephew of the iconic jewelry store’s founder, died here on Wednesday. He was 78.
The cause of death was complications after surgery for an aortic aneurysm, the company said.
Winston, who was 1945 senior class president of the Horace Mann School here, was a baseball pitcher for Amherst College, from which he was graduated. He joined his uncle Harry’s Fifth Avenue diamond jewelry house after being convinced not to pursue a professional baseball career with the New York Yankees because of the relatively short careers of most players.
Winston was trained under his uncle and worked in sales for the company for 56 years. He was known for dressing Hollywood actresses and had built working relationships with major league baseball players, who bought jewelry for their wives and girlfriends.
“He was a major factor [in the business] and had a great sense of working with clients,” said chairman Ronald Winston, Richard’s cousin. “He always took copious notes from the beginning of a sale to the end. He understood design and had a great cheerfulness about it all. He’ll definitely be missed.”
Winston is survived by his wife of 18 years, Susan Harnick Winston; two daughters, Lisa Winston Wilentz and Stephanie Winston-Vann; a sister, Carol Herman-Janis, and a granddaughter, Dana Wilentz. He was predeceased by his wife of 24 years, Zena Lakriz Winston.
A memorial service is set for 2:30 p.m. April 20 at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 188 West 76th Street, in Manhattan.