Headlines

Hedda Schupak, Former JCK Editor, Passes Away at 62

She was with JCK for 23 years, beginning in 1986.

Published

2 months ago

October 4, 2023

INSTORE Staff

Former JCK Editor-in-Chief Hedda Schupak has died.

She was 62, according to her obituary. Schupak passed away Oct. 3 of cancer.

Schupak was with JCK for 23 years, beginning in 1986, and served as editor-in-chief for nine years, according to the publication. Current JCK Editor-in-Chief Victoria Gomelsky was quoted saying Schupak was “a legendary figure in the jewelry trade.”

“She made her mark on the magazine with her incisive editorials, globe-trotting research, and sixth sense for fashion and design trends,” she said.

INSTORE Editor-in-Chief Trace Shelton said: “I am stunned and saddened by this news. Hedda was an icon in this industry for good reason. I always loved her writing: so direct, so smart, so insightful. But more than that, she was a lovely person and believed in making the world a better place. I have been so inspired by her and will miss her tremendously.”

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”