Cary J. Shevin, chairman of the board of supplier DARD Products Inc., passed away on January 16. He was 81.

DARD Products was founded by Shevin’s father, Jack, in 1947. Later, Shevin and his wife, Harriette, started attending industry trade shows and the business grew. DARD later moved to its current location in Evanston, Illinois, where it has been for 38 years.
 
Shevin was a longtime and prominent member of the promotional products industry and had an influential role on the industry for decades. He previously served on the PPAI Marketing, Information and Research Committee and the Awards Advisory Council. DARD has been a member of PPAI since 1951 and received numerous awards under Shevin’s leadership.

With his tireless work ethic, he grew the business into a multimillion-dollar company. A few years ago, Shevin was proud to name daughter Bonni Shevin-Sandy as CEO and president of DARD Products.  

Shevin was a pioneer in the industry and was one of the first suppliers to import products. A statement released by his family said: “He loved this industry, the people he met through the years, and he worked tirelessly for his family and employees. He was a visionary, and his work ethic and dedication to DARD and his employees was unmatched. He had a great business mind and was most of all a man of integrity. He touched many lives and will continue to live in the hearts of his family, friends and his DARD family. He will truly be missed.”
 
Shevin is survived by his wife, his daughter and her husband, Jeff Sandy, grandchildren Evan, Brandon and Zachary, brother Neal Shevin, sister Pam Levy and many other family members. He is predeceased by son Phillipp Shevin.

Services will be held January 19 at noon at Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd., (at Niles Center Road) Skokie, Illinois, with interment at Shalom Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. For Shiva information, click here.

Memorials may be made to ORT America, Phillipp Shevin Memorial Fund, 3701 Commercial Drive, Suite 13, Northbrook, Illinois 60062, www.ortchicago.org; Multiple Sclerosis Society, 525 West Monroe, Suite 900, Chicago, Illinois 60661; www.nationalmssociety.org, and any no kill animal shelter.