James Cavender. (courtesy photo)

There is one word consistently used to describe the late James Cavender — generous.

Those closest to the founder of Cavender’s said he was a hardworking, self-made man who never knew a stranger.

He was described as honest and family-oriented.

But, more than that, people close to him remembered his generosity.

Cavender died Tuesday at a Tyler hospital. He was 87.

“He cared about people, he cared about his family, and he was well-respected in the business world,” said his son Mike Cavender. “He never forgot where he came from. He never thought he was better than anybody. Even after he became so successful he never forgot his friends.”

With more than 50 years in business, the clothing store James and Pat Cavender founded now includes more than 80 stores, with a reach that extends into 11 states, including Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Alabama. 

The management torch has been passed to the couple’s three sons: Joe, president; Clay, merchandising; and Mike, operations, but their father was still actively involved.

“We are saddened by the loss of James Cavender,” a company statement said. “We thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers. He will be missed by many.”

Family and business associates said Cavender’s favorite activity was visiting stores and getting to know the customers and sales associates.

“If he was traveling, he would stop in all the stores he passed along the way, and he would talk to every employee whether they were (stock workers), cashiers or salespeople — and he’d know their name,” said Cavender’s granddaughter McClain Cavender-Devine. “He made it a point to talk to everyone. That was one of the things I admired about him. He valued people no matter what area of work, and made it a point to get to know them.”

He’d also pass out promotional freebies everywhere he went, and under his leadership the company also gave to the community, supporting everything from youth athletic leagues to church groups.

“The reason he was so successful was because he was so good with people,” Mrs. Devine said. “People wanted to get behind him and wanted to work for him. He inspired that in people, and he was a good leader.”

James Cavender also had a way of making people feel appreciated.

“He made me feel special without trying to, and I think most people who came in contact with James had a huge respect for him,” said Bobby Frazier, longtime friend and owner of Twisted X Boots. “I don’t think I have met anyone who wasn’t fond of him. It’s hard to be in business that many years and not make someone mad. “

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James Cavender was passionate about work. Even at 87, he was an active part of the company.

Mike Cavender said his dad was working until the end, sending him an email detailing what needed to be done with some new stores the day he was admitted to the hospital recently.

“If you could keep up with James, you were doing your part,” said Ron Whitten, a longtime Cavender’s employee. “His favorite four-letter word was W.O.R.K.”

Whitten has worked for the company 34 years, rising from a stocking position to the Austin district manager for Central and South Texas.

“I can’t say enough what an amazing mentor and leader he was, not just to me, but everyone who worked for him,” Whitten said. “He’s a legend in this industry. Boot reps and boot companies — we owe it all to James. He changed the industry. We didn’t know it at the time, but looking back it’s amazing.”

Frazier said he met James Cavender in 1974, when the company was a single-store operation in Pittsburg.

Frazier came in to sell his line of boots, and Cavender bought a little bit of everything he had.

Over the years, Frazier said he leaned on his friend for opinions about which designs would sell and which wouldn’t.

“He was as good as a boot buyer as I ever saw in my life,” Frazier said. “He knew how to pick stuff that sold. He’d be one of the first people I’d work with to see if my new line was any good. If he picked them, they worked.”

Frazier said Cavender also was tenacious in expanding and finding new locations, and he had a way of keeping quality employees.

“The Cavenders breed loyalty, somehow, in their employees,” Frazier said. “They have very little turnover in their management, and they grow their own. They farm their own employees — they raise them (into management). There’s a lot of good Western stores out there, but there’s nothing like this bunch.”

Frazier said they don’t make boots big enough to fill James Cavender’s place, but the company is in the stable hands of his three sons.

“One thing James taught those boys was to work, and they do,” he said. “He left it in good hands. Those boys are different, but they all have a little bit of James — they have a work ethic.”

TWITTER: @TMTFaith

• There will be a private family graveside service at Rose Hill Cemetery in Pittsburg Friday, June 1, followed by a public memorial service at First Baptist Church Pittsburg at 3 p.m. on Friday.
• The family will receive friends between 5 and 7 P.M. Thursday, May 31, at the Family Life Center at First Baptist Church Pittsburg.