Albert Livingston Hadley

Albert Livingston Hadley Jr., a prominent interior designer, died March 30, 2012 at the age of 91. Mr. Hadley was the son of the late A.L. (Bert) Hadley and Lois Meguiar Hadley. Albert graduated from Isaac Litton High School and attended Peabody College. After college he was a Nashville decorator employed by A. Herbert Rodgers who had the most prestigious decorating firm in the south at that time. Albert served in World War II with the Air Corp Engineers and was stationed in England. After the war he followed his dream and went to New York where he graduated from Parsons School of Design. After graduation he served as a faculty member where he taught for five years teaching at both the New York and Paris schools. Albert was then offered a position at McMillan and Co., a well-known New York decorating firm. One of the most important jobs he had while there was the restoration of the plantation house "Rosedown" in St. Francesville, Louisiana. Soon after finishing "Rosedown", Albert left McMillan to start his own company but before he started Mrs. Henry Parish who had a small but well established decorating business, "Mrs. Henry Parish", offered him a position. After a few years the name was changed to Parish-Hadley. Albert became president of the firm and Parish-Hadley was soon to be known as the most famous decorating firm in America. Some of their clients included Mrs. Vincent Astor, Happy Rockefeller, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, Vice President and Mrs. Al Gore, the John Hay Whitneys, the Paleys and the Gettys. After the death of Mrs. Parish in 1994, Albert closed Parish-Hadley and started his own firm Albert Hadley, Inc., a much smaller firm. He closed that firm in 2010 due to ill health. Among the honors he received during his prestigious career included Member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame, Fellow of the American Society of Interior Designers, honorary degrees from Parsons School of Design, New York School of Design and Watkins College of Art. He has been called the "Dean of American Designers". Albert was very active in the Southport Congregational Church in Southport, Connecticut, where he had a weekend home. Mr. Hadley is survived by his sister, Betty Hadley of Nashville, Tennessee. Services are to be held on Tuesday April 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3900 West End Ave. Nashville, Tennessee with visitation immediately following in the church parlor. Phillips-Robinson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Cheekwood, 1200 Forrest Park Dr. Nashville, Tennessee 372205 or Alive Hospice 1718 Patterson Street Nashville, TN 37203.

Albert Livingston Hadley

November 11, 1920 - March 30, 2012