NOTEWORTHY DEATH

— Co-founder of Gap stores

PORTLAND, Ore. -

Donald G. Fisher, who co-founded apparel giant Gap Inc., died Sunday. He was 81.

Fisher, who had cancer, died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his family, the company said.

Fisher and his wife Doris opened the first Gap in 1969 in San Francisco after having difficulty finding jeans that fit. They named the store after the idea of "The Generation Gap" and sold jeans and music to appeal to a younger crowd.

The simple, affordable style that became the brand's trademark resonated with shoppers and took off quickly. Gap grew to be one of the nation's largest specialty retailers with more than 3,000 stores in more than 25 countries.

Gap Inc. now also operates the Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta brands. It became a publicly traded company in 1976 and reported sales of $14.5 billion in its 2008 fiscal year.

Fisher guided the company through its largest growth phases, serving as CEO from the company's inception through 1995 and as its chairman until 2004. He continued as a company director and as chairman emeritus until his death.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 09/29/2009

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