Steven C. Overby

Steven Charles Overby, a furniture buyer for Macy’s in New York City for many years who rose to become a senior vice president at the company, died on Sept. 6 at Stony Brook University Hospital, where he had been under care since a home accident at the end of August. He would have been 72 later this month.

Mr. Overby lived in Amagansett with his wife, Sylvia Overby, an East Hampton Town councilwoman. Nicknamed “the colonel” by his sons’ friends for his “tough love and guidance,” he was devoted to his family.

Born in Huntington on Sept. 25, 1944, to Otto L. Overby and the former Geraldine Sullivan, he grew up there, graduating from Huntington High School before earning a degree at Northwestern University in Chicago in 1966. He went on to receive a law degree from Northwestern Law School.

During the Vietnam War, Mr. Overby was a lawyer with the federal government’s Defense Supply Agency. He then followed in his father’s footsteps at Macy’s. His work with the department store took him to recently opened China in 1978 to lead foreign trade agreements on Chinese rugs. He also traveled to India, Egypt, and Europe, buying rugs and furniture for Macy’s. He was transferred to Atlanta in 1978 and met his future wife, Sylvia Wilson, there. He later opened his own furniture and rug stores in that city.

The Overbys were married on March 26, 1981. They built a house in Amagansett three years later and split their time between Amagansett and Atlanta until 1994, when they moved here full time. Mr. Overby had vacationed in Montauk every summer as a child. “His happiest moments were on the beach,” his wife said.

He was an accomplished tennis player and golfer, and later in life brought home numerous trophies from tournaments here and in Florida. He had made it to the men’s Montauk Downs C-Flight final this year, and although he was unable to compete due to his accident, his fellow players awarded him the trophy.

Mr. Overby also enjoyed designing and building houses, taking great pleasure in poring over plans for friends and family and for the renovation of his own house several years ago.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Alec Sullivan Overby of Garden City and Andrew Dwight Overby of Amagansett, and by a grandson. He also leaves two sisters, Gail Savage of Exeter, N.H., and Barbara Blasch of Boston, and three nephews.

An open house and celebration of his life for family and friends will be held at his Seabreeze Lane residence on Sept. 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. “He loved life and did not want to have people mourn,” his wife said.

Donations in his memory have been suggested to the East Hampton Food Pantry, online at easthamptonfoodpantry.org.