John F. Dailey, the former owner of the New York-based freight forwarder and customs broker Karr, Ellis & Co., died Jan. 2 at the age of 94.
After serving in the Army during World War II, Daily joined Karr, Ellis as an employee and eventually bought out the original owner with two partners. Over time he became the sole owner of the company, where he worked for 50 years.
Raymond J. Walsh, Dailey’s son-in-law and current president of the company, said Dailey opened an airport office in the late 1950s at the insistence of his largest customer, Eastman Kodak. It was the beginning of a 40-plus year career at the airport.
In 1970, Dailey was one of the founders of the social benevolence organization that became “The Semantics,” which has continued with his original vision of “fun, frolic and benevolence.” He was the group’s first president and remained active in the association for many years.
Walsh said he began working with Dailey in 1989 after marrying his daughter a couple of years earlier and “had the privilege of learning the business from him since I had no background in logistics (as it is called today), only some management experience in other industries and an MBA under my belt.
“(Dailey) was voracious reader and absorbed any and all industry and non-industry literature he could get his hands on and was only too eager to apply this knowledge to his business and hand it down to his employees. He ran his business as he lived his life, with personal integrity, generosity and the utmost respect for those who worked with him and for him. I was fortunate to be able to work with John for almost two decades.”
Dailey is survived by his wife of 53 years, Margaret (Peggy), daughter Laurie Walsh, son Kevin, and seven grandchildren.
Dailey, air freight pioneer, dies at 94
