It seems like I’ve written a lot of obituaries for industry colleagues who have died unexpectedly in recent years, but I can’t remember being as shocked as I was last week by the news of Hedda Schupak’s passing.
And I don’t remember ever seeing such an outpouring online as I did for Hedda, from LinkedIn to Facebook to my own inbox, which was flooded with messages after the news broke last Tuesday.
Former colleagues, retailers, designers and heads of organisations wrote to me, expressing the same shock and sharing their memories of a woman who dedicated her career to the jewellery industry.
Hedda spent 23 years at JCK magazine, a lifetime in the world of journalism. For nine of those years she was the publication’s editor-in-chief, a gruelling and often thankless job.
After her time at JCK, she remained in the industry as editor of the Centurion show newsletter. Last year she told JCK news director Rob Bates that she was “semi-retiring”.
Although I remember reading Rob’s article, I wasn’t surprised when I saw Hedda in Las Vegas earlier this year, because she confirmed in Rob’s story what we all know to be true: “Nobody leaves the jewellery industry completely.
Now I find it hard to believe that I’ll never see Hedda again because she was Hedda – strong, smart, confident, bold and articulate. Never one to mince words, she was never afraid to speak her mind.When I spoke to fellow industry journalist Russ Shor last week, he described his long-time friend as someone who was “very outspoken” and “extremely honest”, two excellent qualities in a journalist.
“Hedda was a deeply caring, deeply loyal person. We were best friends. That’s the only way you can describe her,” Shor said.
She also, he noted, ran JCK magazine with the utmost integrity, which did not go unnoticed by its target audience – jewellers.
Jim Rosenheim of Tiny Jewel Box, Veronica Guarino of Louis Anthony Jewelers, Elva Valentine of Valentine’s Jewelry and Susan Eisen of Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches all contacted me directly to share their memories of Hedda.
Rosenheim wrote: “I met Hedda decades ago at the Vincenza Fair. We were both looking in the window of the same exhibitor… We shared discoveries and experiences whenever our paths crossed.
“She was a valued friend and colleague whose loss has left a real vacuum in my life.
Valentine described Hedda as a “bright star” and Eisen as a “real gem”, while Guarino wrote: “I am so sorry to hear of Hedda’s passing. I always enjoyed seeing her at the shows. She was a positive, energetic woman who contributed so much to the industry.
“We were on a trip together to Italy in 2013, [at the About J show], and she interviewed Lou and me about trends in the industry. We had a lot of great laughs together. She will be missed.”Robert Weldon, who worked with both Hedda and Shor at JCK in the 90s, said: “Working with Hedda was a trip. She was fun, opinionated and hard working.
“When I moved to the Philadelphia area, she became a trusted professional colleague and friend. I remember bringing a cappuccino maker to work, and every day we would all meet for a quick pick-me-up, the machine squeaking and squeaking its steamed milk… But it wasn’t just the coffee, it was our time to share ideas.
“I am so, so sorry to hear of Hedda’s passing. She was passionate, compassionate and unforgettable. In our industry, and Hedda’s beloved jewellery industry, she made a difference”.I do not have the same history with Hedda as Shor, Weldon and some of my other jewellery industry colleagues who worked alongside her at JCK, so I invite you to read their remembrances.
Jennifer Heebner remembered Hedda in the latest AGTA Prism newsletter, Anthony DeMarco recalled Hedda’s influence on his career for Centurion, and Rob Bates collected memories from JCK staff past and present.
Although we never worked on the same publication, I always liked Hedda.
We talked whenever we ran into each other at trade shows or other industry events, and we kept in touch by email, discussing politics, journalism and the Pittsburgh Steelers (all of which are in a pretty dismal state at the moment, to be honest).
Her husband Jim and I are both Steelers fans, and Hedda would often email me after a tough loss to check in and let me know that Jim was as depressed as I was.
In recent years, our conversations have expanded to include cats.
An ‘iconic’ cat lady .You didn’t have to know Hedda well to understand that no tribute to her would be complete without mentioning her love of cats, the supreme beings of the pet world.
A few months after adopting my tuxedo cat, Salem, I mentioned him in an email to Hedda. She asked for pictures (who wouldn’t?) and wrote: “I’m sure you’ve already figured out that once you have a cat, you wonder how you ever got along without one.
She was right.
After I wrote about Hedda’s death on Tuesday, one of the first messages I received was from Severine Ferrari, who wrote: “So sad to hear about Hedda. She was one of the smartest in the business when it came to understanding the consumer mind.
“But most of all, she was one of the most iconic cat ladies in our industry. She gave me great advice when Padmé was ill. It was great to see her at JCK [this year], which was the last time I saw her.
Shortly after receiving Severine’s message, I received an email from Andrea Hansen who said, “I am heartbroken to hear about Hedda. As a cat person I am sure you know how much she loved her fur babies. I cannot tell you how many times she wrote to me directly to tell me about a plant that was poisonous to kittens, or to help this ‘dog lady’ become a ‘cat lady’.”Her big smile and infectious laugh came through as only Hedda could, whether you met her at a show in Vegas or even in the way she wrote her direct messages.”
Rest in peace, Hedda. Wherever you are, I hope there are lots of cats. And if there are, please save a place for me.
A memorial service for Hedda will be held on 17 November at Temple Brith Achim in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the service beginning at 12:30 p.m. Following the service, all are invited to a local restaurant, to be announced, to share their memories of Hedda.
For those unable to attend in person, friends of Hedda are working on a live streaming option.
