He led by example, by passion, and by a big heart. And last Friday, Albert Boscov left a legacy the retail industry won’t soon forget.

He passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 87.

“Albert Boscov was truly one of the giants in the retail industry, ” said nephew and Boscov’s CEO Jim Boscov in a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Suzette Parmley. “He was a man of vision and passion, and he had a profound influence on the retail business community and the community at large.”

Boscov’s is headquartered in Reading, in Berks County.

Albert Boscov took personal responsibility for the company he and his father Solomon Boscov built, even rallying $307 million in 2008 to save the jobs of 8,000 cherished employees in 45 stores across seven states. He did it with the help of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which owns the malls that the Boscov’s department store anchors in places like Plymouth Meeting and Exton.

“Albert was one of kind,” said PREIT CEO Joseph C. Coradino. “He had a connection, and was a mentor to everyone he met.”

Read more about the legendary Boscov’s chairman in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.