Joe Houlihan, a past president of the American Booksellers Association and longtime owner of the first Morris Book Shop in Lexington, Ky., died last Wednesday, April 11.
Houlihan, owned and operated the Morris Book Shop from 1946 to 1978, when it closed. He was also v-p of Wallace's Bookstores, the former campus bookstore company, from 1976-1988. The Lexington Herald-Leader has a full obituary.
In 2008, Wyn Morris opened a new Morris Book Shop in Lexington, choosing the name in honor of the old store and out of kismet. (The founders of the old Morris Book Shop were not relatives.) There was another reason: his manager since opening has been Hap Houlihan, Joe Houlihan's great-nephew.
Morris wrote that Joe Houlihan "provided inspiration and encouragement to us as we re-established the Morris Book Shop in 2008. His are huge shoes to fill. He will be missed."
