Mourners Pay Respects to William Davidson
March 17, 2009

More than 3,000 people attended the funeral of William Davidson, owner and chief executive officer (CEO) of Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Guardian Industries, this afternoon (CLICK HERE for related story). The service was held at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, of which Davidson was a lifetime member and former president.

Among those individuals paying their respects were David Stern, commissioner of the NBA; former Pistons Isiah Thomas, Rick Mahorn, Bill Laimbeer and Dave Bing; Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel; and former Michigan Governor John Engler. Employees from Guardian Industries filled the building and also videotaped the funeral to provide closure for employees at Guardian facilities around the world.

Davidson's son Ethan Davidson, son-in-law Jonathan Aaron and Russ Ebeid, president of Guardian Glass, stepped before the crowd to deliver their reflections, both humorous and poignant, on their time with Davidson. The eulogy was delivered by Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff, who talked about Davidson as "a man of modesty and humility … a man of integrity and vision." Krakoff added, "He was fearless, secure, and he never worried. There were no obstacles for William Davidson."

CLICK HERE for a related story from the Detroit News.

Need more info and analysis about the issues?
CLICK HERE to subscribe to USGlass magazine.