David Oreck obit

David Oreck, founder of vacuum company and World War II aviator, dead at 99

 

He was not on the list.

David Oreck, the founder of and spokesman for the Oreck Corporation, the famous vacuum cleaner company, has died at the age of 99. Born in Duluth, Minnesota, the eldest son of Abe Oreck and Sheba Polansky, David Oreck seemed determined from his earliest days to take on the world. He was a small, red- headed boy who constantly got into fights with bigger kids. And this scrappiness was ultimately the very trait that allowed him to succeed. He dropped out of his freshman year in college to join what was then the Army Air Corps and served in the Pacific as a B-29 navigator. His WWII experiences reinforced a deep sense of patriotism that reflected in his commitment to American made products. David Oreck had a lifelong love of aviation, and he was an active pilot well into his 80's. He also built a significant collection of historically important aircraft. But David Oreck's true passion was for sales and marketing. He had a great gift for telling a story, of identifying what would really capture the mind of the customer. 

Moving to New York City after the war, Mr. Oreck learned his skills at Bruno New York, the then exclusive distributor for RCA television and Whirlpool appliances for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Following that he took over as the CEO of the Louisiana and Mississippi RCA distributorship, and in that capacity created several national marketing strategies for RCA. And in 1963 he founded Oreck Corporation - initially as the exclusive national distributor for Whirlpool branded vacuum cleaners. It was at this time that he pioneered the use of direct mail/direct marketing for vacuum cleaners. The conventional thinking was that vacuums were a product that would only sell off the showroom floor. 

Yet a smart and compelling marketing story allowed David Oreck's direct mail approach to be immensely successful. Just as Mr. Oreck defied convention with his direct marketing techniques, he also believed that he could sell a vacuum cleaner that was radically different. At that time consumers had been trained to believe that a good vacuum cleaner had to be heavy. But David felt that a great vacuum could be powerful and durable yet light weight. David Oreck understood that having a new product in a mature product category was not enough. So he pioneered not just a revolutionary product, but groundbreaking marketing and customer service programs. By the time the company was sold in 2003, the 8 pound Oreck vacuum had become the premier high performance floor care product. In his later years Mr. Oreck became very active in education. He was a featured lecturer at many leading universities about entrepreneurship and premium branding. David Oreck was also committed to educating the younger generation about America's role in World War II. 

Following World War II, Oreck joined RCA in New York, working there for 17 years and becoming sales manager. He helped to market washing machines, microwave ovens and televisions. Oreck accompanied RCA General Manager David Sarnoff at congressional hearings to develop standards for color television broadcasts.

Mr. Oreck was preceded in death by this two brothers, Marshall and Robert Oreck, and by his son Dr. Steven Oreck. He is survived by his wife, Jan Girlinghouse Oreck, his sons Thomas Oreck and Bruce Oreck, his seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A visitation will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 11am, followed by funeral services at 1pm at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, New Orleans with Rabbi Katie Bauman of Touro Synagogue officiating. Private interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be made to The National World War II Museum. (www.nationalww2museum org/give) Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home is in charge of services.