Founder of Cavender’s boot empire dies at age 87

The official announcement from the Cavender’s company of the May 29 death of its founder is titled “A Celebration of Life of Texas Classic James R. Cavender.”

The fitting headline echoes the sentiments this past week of all who knew him. There was a great sadness for the loss of a patriarch and iconic businessman whose empire began in Pittsburg more than a half-century ago. But, there was also joy and some laughter in remembering and celebrating the life of a man who touched so many.

The company shared on its Facebook page that afternoon that “countless stories of James Cavender have been filling our inboxes, stories of his humility, hard work, honesty, and integrity: “his handshake was better than any legal document,” as one put it best.”

“He taught us early on the value of hard work, work around the house, around the farm, working in the store. He instilled that work ethic in the entire family,” Mike Cavender said of his father in an interview with the Gazette. “Not only was he a great businessman, but he was also an awesome father.”

Mike Cavender recalled his father coaching him and his brothers in Little League baseball and being there to support them all while building his empire.

“He came to all our games throughout high school. He would work all the time, but he would be there every chance he could take,” Mike Cavender said.

Clay Cavender said his father was “one of a kind” and was “notoriously known as being frugal.” He shared a childhood story with the Gazette about his first sales job in the store.

“When I was in the fourth grade, he put me on the sales floor, and he was going to pay me straight commission until I started making quite a bit of money at that age. He got scared and put me on an hourly rate,” he said.

Mike Cavender added to the memory, saying, “Clay’s a lot younger, and 10 years later when we had a few stores, he put Clay on straight commission, but he put him in the warehouse working, not a sales clerk, so he saved both ways,” he said.

Cavender was known as a pioneer, a businessman, and more importantly, a family man even to those he barely knew.

“He had a way about treating people that just made them feel good,” Mike Cavender said. “He never met a stranger he didn’t like.”

Jim Thompson, the company’s chief financial officer, came on board in 1998 as James Cavender was taking a step back from the day-to-day operations and handing the reigns over to his sons, Joe, the oldest, and Mike and Clay.

“He’s more than just a colleague; he’s a friend, a father figure. He loved everybody in the company. He related to everybody in a special way that was personal,” Thompson said. “He wasn’t impressed with titles and stature.”

Mike Cavender agreed.

“Joe is president, and me and Clay are vice presidents, but I have ‘boot salesman’ on my business card. He let us find our niche in the business, and it’s a team effort,” he said.

Their mother, Pat, remains active at age 86 with oil painting and decorating new stores as they open.

The key to their father’s success in business, Mike Cavender said, is “treating everyone with respect, taking care of the customer, and doing the right thing.”

The Cavender brothers and Thompson both shared that while James Cavender had been in and out of the hospital for the past five years, his death was unexpected.

“He was about to get out and move to a rehabilitation center and, of course, he wanted to come back to Pittsburg. He was ready to come home and do outpatient rehab, but the night before he passed away,” Mike Cavender said.

“There have been a lot of tears. Our hearts are broken,” Thompson said. “I saw him on Sunday (May 27), and he was talking about business and horses, and I left thinking he was going to bounce back, but I guess it was his time.”

Cavender’s employees, family, friends, the Pittsburg community and the entire of western wear industry is mourning his loss and remembering the great times they had with him.

“He could walk into a room and brighten it up. He was one of the great ones,” said Thompson.

“We miss him,” Mike Cavender said.