Furniture Sharehouse

Our Volunteer Spotlight shines on Harry Lennon

Harry came to us over two years ago, saying that he had "a little experience" with furniture repair and restoration, and wondered if Furniture Sharehouse could benefit from his talents? Needless to say, we were thrilled, and from his very first Wednesday, he became an invaluable member of our volunteer family.

Harry became interested in furniture repair and refinishing at his church – Scarsdale Congregational Church -- back in the 1980s. His wife, Lois, was responsible for adding furniture to the church's long-standing annual tag sale, but Harry wasn't happy with the condition of some of the pieces that were donated. So he began taking pieces home and repairing and refinishing them to make them more saleable, thereby earning the moniker "The Furniture Doctor" from his fellow church members who knew that he had a Ph. D. degree in pharmaceutical research. To improve his skills, Harry began taking courses in furniture repair, even attending class at the Restoration Department of Sotheby's Auction House in New York City. Word spread that he was quite clever at fixing furniture and people brought their broken and distressed furniture to him. Soon, Harry had a small business going and a fun "hobby" for evenings and weekends.

When Harry retired from his pharmaceutical career after 32 years and from heading up furniture sales at the Church after almost 30 years, he wanted to find a place where he could donate his time and unique talent with furniture. He found that place at Furniture Sharehouse.

Harry's weekly Wednesday routine begins when he pulls up at the warehouse in his white minivan, which is always filled with furniture – pieces he has collected from friends, tag sales, or picked up at the curb. Once those pieces are unloaded, he stalks the aisles in search of furniture items that need attention – maybe a missing knob, a broken pull, a drawer needing re-gluing or a tabletop that has too many scratches or stains. He fixes and touches up what he can on-site, but items that need extra TLC get loaded into "Harry's Furniture Ambulance" and taken home for intensive rehab.

Harry has also obtained monetary support for Furniture Sharehouse. He persuaded the Outreach Committee of Scarsdale Congregational Church to make generous donations for the past two years. And when a close friend died, he helped the family to wrap up the estate, selling select pieces to dealers and donating the proceeds to Furniture Sharehouse.

Needless to say, Harry Lennon is a mainstay of our dedicated group of volunteers, and Wednesdays wouldn't be the same without him – THANK YOU, HARRY!