Gilbert “Gib” Ford, former chairman and chief executive of Converse, died from pulmonary fibrosis on Jan. 10. He was 85. He spent 35 years with Converse until 1996, the last ten running the company, which subsequently went bankrupt in 2002. Before joining the brand, he had an illustrious career as a professional basketball player. He was a member of the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. He served twice as chairman of SGMA, the American sporting goods industry association, and he was a member of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.

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