Every once in a while a brand shows some heart.
In this case, it was a Home Depot in Hamilton, NJ that took the time to show that companies — or at least his local store — cared about the customer.
William Abbott was a self-employed carpenter who visited his local Home Depot so frequently that almost every employee recognized him and knew his name. Home Depot workers “lit up” when the local handyman stopped by the store to buy supplies for each job.
On April 4th, after battling liver cancer that spread to his bones, the 59-year-old man passed away.
Shocked and saddened by the passing, the employees of his favorite hardware store decided to pay tribute to the loveable everyman.
In the weeks leading up to his death, Abbott’s niece Judy Berkeyheiser knew it was “toward the end” and wanted to construct a memorial using Home Depot materials in his honor, Sadowski said. But when the workers learned of her idea, they sprang into action and volunteered to do it themselves, Sadowski said.
It’s a tribute only a team of hardware store employees could put together — a big orange background matching the Home Depot corporate color, and the words “WE LOVE U Bill” spelled out in a combination of steel fastener nuts, rope and other hardware.
Abbott leaves behind two adult children, six grandchildren and an entire store of friends.
Home Depot employees in Hamilton build a tribute to a late customer [NJ.com]