“Sweater queen and home-shopping doyenne” Jeanne Bice of the popular at-home shopping channel QVC has died.
Bice, 71, was known for her “Quacker Factory” line sold on QVC, and the site posted a eulogy for the host that read in part:
“Jeanne chose to love. She loved what she did — creating Quacker Factory clothes, with ‘sparkle and shine’. Clothes that made people Happy. She loved QVC. Everything about it. She loved the people: the executives who ran it, and the production people who worked so hard to make every show perfect. She loved the famous stars who appeared there, and had to pinch herself when others considered her one.”
Bice’s line of casual clothing including sequined tees and track sets proved immensely popular with Middle America, and her whimsical, female-centric line of jewelry featuring enameled ducks, champagne bottles and shopping bags were also a hit. But the QVC host was familiar with adversity, her memorial entry on the site details:
Jeanne Bice loved life. From her childhood in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin-taking care of her baby brother Dick, all through her married years to her adoring Butch in Ripon, Wisconsin, raising her beloved Tim and Lee, Jeanne was surrounded by love. Everyone loved to be at Jeanne’s house. That’s where the party was-everyday.
Life was perfect, until that day when Butch suddenly died and left her with her two children, and decisions to make.
As she later wrote about it, she pulled herself up by her bra straps and started over. Again and again. She discovered that Happy wasn’t a destination in life. ‘Happy comes from the choices we make and the way we think on life’s journey.’
Cause of death for Bice has not been revealed, and no information regarding funeral or memorial services have yet been announced. Those who wish to send flowers or other memorial gestures have been asked to instead make a donation in Bice’s name to her favorite charity, feedthechildren.org.
