NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla.Sam Behr, famous for proclaiming Tires Ain't Pretty as the longtime spokesman for Allied Discount Tires in Orlando, Fla., died Nov. 16 at his home in New Smyrna Beach. He was 86.
Mr. Behr was the retired owner of Behr Shoe Center in Orlando, where he claimed he could fit any human.
But he was known in the tire industry as the humorous commercial spokesman for Allied Discount Tires for 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s.
He also was a color commentator for the Orlando Thunder football team.
Mr. Behr's wife of 29 years, Joanne, told the Orlando Sentinel that her husband thought of things differently than most of us. His mind worked that way. He was always funny.
Besides his wife, survivors include sons Jeff and Phillip; daughter Sheri Gray; stepson George Paulk; three stepdaughters, Mayme Paul, Bette-Jo Foster and Angie McKnight Randolph; and 14 grandchildren.
ATLANTAJohn H. Kauffman, president of Kauffman Tire Inc., died Nov. 3 at age 75 at his home in Atlanta after a long illness.
Mr. Kauffman joined the family business, founded by his father Harry Kauffman in 1936, in 1969 as president after graduating from Ohio State University in 1960. He moved the firm's headquarters to Atlanta from Ohio in 1975.
Besides directing Kauffman Tirewhich has grown to become one of North America's largest independent dealerships, with 53 retail stores, 14 distribution centers, four retail/commercial centers, one retreading plant and an e-commerce business spread over seven statesMr. Kauffman was active in many civic, collegiate and church-related organizations.
Among these were the Junior Achievement of Atlanta, President's Club at Ohio State University and the advisory committee of the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio State, advisory board of WINSHIP Cancer Institute and advisory board of Action Ministries in Atlanta.
He also was involved in Peach- tree Road Methodist Church in Atlanta.
He is survived by his wife Brenda; son Mark Kauffman; daughters Wendy Money, Megan LeBlanc and Krista Slade; stepdaughter Brandi Benson; eight grandchildren; and sisters Virginia Fath and Jane Laubach.