Irvine Kittinger died on July 12, 1941 at the age of 67. He was born in 1874 on Buffalo’s West side. He married Gertrude Colie, who was the niece of George W. Colie, President of Colie & Son, which actually began operations in 1866 - just one year after the end of the Civil War - as a paper factory under the name of Thompson, Collie & Company. By 1870, the company also began to manufacture upholstered furniture, and that business boomed. By 1885, they had opened a furniture plant that produced beautiful hand–crafted furniture in classic 18th century styles. As part of the extended Colie family, Irvine Kittinger began working for Colie & Son in 1904. After a few years with the firm, he was joined by his brother, Ralph. In 1913, the Kittinger brothers acquired the firm from the Colie family and changed the name to the Kittinger Company. Irvine was its president and general manager, while Ralph served as vice president and factory manager. In 1917, the brothers then built a new Kittinger factory at 1893 Elmwood Ave. Under their leadership, the Kittinger Company emerged as one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of handcrafted furniture, commissioned to produce pieces around the world, including the Oval Office fireside chairs and Cabinet Room conference table for the White House. In 1966, the Kittinger family sold the company to General Interiors Corporation. Irvine Kittinger is buried in section 33 1/2 in Forest Lawn.