Lillian Vernon, American businesswoman, Died at 88

  Business

Lillian Vernon was born on March 18, 1927, and died on December 14, 2015.

She was an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Lillian founded the Lillian Vernon Corporation in 1951 and served as its chairman and CEO until July 1989, though she continued to serve as executive chairman until 2003, when the company was taken private by Zelnick Media.

When it went public in 1987, Lillian Corporation was the first company traded on the American Stock Exchange founded by a woman.

New York University’s Lillian Vernon Writers House is named after her and houses the University’s prestigious creative writing program.

For many years, she lived in New York City with her husband, Paolo Martino.

They married on June 24, 1998.

Lillian has two children with Samuel Hochberg, David and Fred Hochberg.

Since 2009, Fred Hochberg has been the president and chairman of Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Hochberg’s partner, Tom Healy, is the Chairman of the Fulbright Program.

Lillian Vernon passed away on December 14, 2015, in Manhattan, New York. She was 88.