2 months ago
Austin Furst, who founded Vestron Video, nan pioneering location video institution down nan Michael Jackson Thriller documentary and nan movie Dirty Dancing, died Wednesday, March 25, astatine his location successful New Canaan, Connecticut, of complications from bosom failure. He was 82.
His decease was announced by his family.
After opening his profession successful marque guidance astatine Procter & Gamble and becoming a life shareholder, Furst spent 13 years astatine Time Inc., wherever he helped motorboat People mag arsenic Circulation Director and drove nan early subscriber maturation of HBO arsenic Executive Vice President of Programming.
In 1981, erstwhile Time Inc. exited nan movie business, Furst founded Vestron Video, recruiting a talented young executive squad to create nan pioneering location video institution and standard it globally. Vestron distributed nan seminal Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller documentary in 1983, went nationalist connected nan New York Stock Exchange successful 1985, and produced world blockbuster characteristic movie Dirty Dancing successful 1987.
Furst yet sold Vestron to LIVE Entertainment aft financing constraints forced nan institution into bankruptcy. He past went connected to motorboat Natural World, a nonstop income institution focused connected earthy and environmentally friends user products. After relocating nan business to Scottsdale, Arizona, he developed a beardown liking successful existent estate, founding Furst Properties. He continued to oversee that agency improvement and leasing institution from his New Canaan agency until conscionable days earlier his passing.
Born Austin Owen Furst Jr. connected August 31, 1943, successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Furst attended The Hill School successful Pottstown and studied business astatine Lehigh University successful Bethlehem.
He is survived by his woman of 60 years, Leslie Fitler Furst; daughters Elizabeth Furst Frank, Catherine Furst Weiss, and Susan Furst Knight; 8 grandchildren; and brother, Stephen Furst.
