Quad/Graphics
founder/owner Harry Quadracci was found dead in a lake near his home in Chenequa, WI, on Monday. He was 66. The Waukesha County medical examiner said the cause of death was accidental drowning.
Quadracci founded Quad/Graphics, a printer of catalogs and magazines, in Pewaukee, WI, in 1971. The company has more than 15 printing facilities on three continents.
Quadracci’s death is the second incident to shock Quad/Graphics this month. On July 12, Quad/Graphics’ 10-story automated storage facility near Lomira, WI, burned down, killing one person. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
Quadracci and his wife, Betty, who is the publisher of “Milwaukee” magazine, were active philanthropists and art collectors, the Milwaukee “Journal Sentinel” reports. In 1997, they pledged $10 million to the Milwaukee Art Museum for a major renovation. They’ve also donated millions to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
“Harry was a very good friend of our family and our company,” says David Hochberg, a spokesperson for gifts cataloger Lillian Vernon Corp., which is printed by Quad. “He certainly believed in the power of personality in servicing our account and showed he cared by personally getting involved many times. There certainly was a personal relationship with him aside from a business relationship.”