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Share Nathan “Nate” Light (pictured), the affable yet driven executive who helped turn Sterling Jewelers into a retail powerhouse, died on March 12 in Palm Beach, Fla. He was 86. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Light started his industry career as a salesman at Rose Jewelers in Detroit, working for 65 cents an hour. He later became the company’s vice president of merchandising. After that, he worked as a buyer, general manager, and executive vice president at another Detroit jeweler, Shifrin-Willens. In 1977, Light became chairman and CEO of Sterling Jewelers, in a move that proved fateful not only for his career but for the entire U.S. jewelry industry. When Light first joined the Akron, Ohio–based company, it was still a small, family-owned, 32-store chain. Under his leadership, Sterling grew to encompass 117 stores. In 1987, it was acquired by Ratners Group (now Signet), a British jeweler seeking a U.S. presence.

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