Jay W. Fidler, former president and chairman of Hercules Chemical Co., died Oct. 31, 2007. He married into the Wander family (Hercules Chemical was founded bySamuel Wander) in the late 1940s and joined the company in 1946, working at its office and factory in lower Manhattan, New York City. He became national sales manager at Hercules Chemical in 1956 and was appointed its president in 1962.
In 1998, following the sale of the company to its employees under an ESOP, Fidler was named chairman of the company. He retired in April 2003 after a 57-year career with the company. During his tenure, Fidler made sure that Hercules Chemical remained a staunch supporter of the traditional wholesale distribution channel.
Fidler is survived by his wife, Rhoda, and their three children - Josh, Meg and Shelly. A funeral service was held Nov. 2 at the Rye Community Synagogue in Rye, N.Y. Memorial contributions in Fidler’s name may be made to the Petra Foundation, 315 Duke Ellington Blvd, Apt. 16C, New York, NY 10025, or the Jay W. Fidler Scholarship Fund at Brown University, care of Gift Cashier, Box 1877, Providence, RI 02912.
