RANCHO CUCAMONGA--Craftsman Sam Maloof is being remembered as one of the world’s foremost woodworkers and an Inland Empire icon.

Mr. Maloof was 93 when he died at his home after a short illness.

He was a self-taught master woodworker whose specialty was chairs. One fetched $140,000 at a charity auction. Others are displayed at the Smithsonian Institution and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

His signature rocking chair was the first piece of contemporary furniture in the White House. Former President Jimmy Carter owns 10 pieces of his furniture.

Story Date: May 29, 2009