Independents

Shreve, Crump & Low President David Walker Dies

IndependentsOct 26, 2021

Shreve, Crump & Low President David Walker Dies

He purchased the retailer in 2006 after it ran into financial trouble and set about bringing back its sparkle.

20211026_David-Walker.jpg
Shreve, Crump & Low President David Walker (Image courtesy Shreve, Crump & Low Facebook page)
Boston—David Walker, president and owner of well-known retailer Shreve, Crump & Low, has died.

The son of a Boston jeweler, Walker’s nearly four-decade-long career started when he was in his early 20s in Boston, the family said in an announcement about his passing on social media

After applying for, but ultimately not getting, a job at Shreve Crump & Low—one of the oldest retailers in America and one he greatly admired—Walker started his own business in the late 1970s called David & Company. 

He spent the following two decades growing his business and building a presence in the wholesale jewelry community, indulging his true passion of acquiring rare diamonds and gemstones. 

In 2006, Walker purchased Shreve, Crump & Low when the retailer was having financial problems. 

With his acquisition and the hard work that came after, Walker not only saved the storied jeweler but grew it “beyond his wildest expectations,” his family said. 

His love for business and hard work came second only to his love for his family—his wife, Antonella, and his three kids, Brian, Bradford, and Olivia. 

“David did everything for his family and his business.”

Walker divided his time between the retailer’s two locations—working alongside Brian at the company’s brownstone on tony Newbury Street in Boston and with Bradford and Olivia at the store in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

His dream was to see his children continue the legacy he built “with confidence, cohesion and, most importantly, happiness in their hearts.” The three of them will continue to run the business. 

Walker is remembered as a kind man and a great businessman whose involvement in the industry touched many lives. 

Memorial remembrances may be sent to the retailer’s its Boston location: 39 Newbury St., Boston, MA, 02116. 
Brecken Branstratoris the senior editor, gemstones at National Jeweler, covering sourcing, pricing and other developments in the colored stone sector.

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