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From Home Furnishing Business
Ethan Allen Announces Death of Board Member John Dooner, Jr.
January 6,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
With profound sadness, Ethan Allen announces the death of John Dooner Jr., 77, who served on the company’s Board of Directors for the past 15 years.
“John was a dear friend and a long-standing member of the Ethan Allen Board, whom I had known for more than 25 years,” stated Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen’s Chairman, President and CEO. “A trailblazer throughout his career, John was also a person of generosity and integrity, and he will be deeply missed.”
John began his career in an advertising media department in 1970, transitioning to McCann Erickson as a Senior Vice President in 1984 and rising to become Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldwide in 1995. A visionary who predicted the dominant role that digital media would play in the future of marketing, he led the company’s evolution into McCann Worldgroup and the formation of the industry’s first global digital marketing network.
John will also be remembered for his philanthropic efforts. He was deeply involved in several initiatives including Peace One Day, Product Red and the United Way. He also served on the boards of St. Thomas University, Sound Shore Medical Center and the New York City Police Foundation, and as a trustee of Notre Dame’s Irish Advisory Council.
“In addition to being an exceptional leader, John was a friend and mentor to many people,” Mr. Kathwari noted. “The thoughts of our entire Ethan Allen team are with his family at this time.”