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Photo courtesy of Nancy Bromberg
Ricky Bromberg, the sixth generation president of Bromberg & Co., passed away September 2, 2026, at the age of 67. Bromberg's jewelers is one of the oldest family-run businesses in the nation, dating back to 1836 when it was founded in Mobile, Alabama. It is the oldest standing and family-owned business in the state. Photo courtesy of Nancy Bromberg.
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Photo courtesy of Kitty Lovelady
Pictured at the March 2024 Monopoly Birmingham board game kickoff party are Kathryn "Kitty" Lovelady, new vice president of Bromberg & Co., Brian Hood, the new president, the late president Ricky Bromberg and his wife, Nancy. Photo courtesy of Kitty Lovelady.
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Photo by Kelli S. Hewett
Floral cross wreaths adorned the doors of Bromberg's in the days after president Ricky Bromberg's death. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
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Rendering courtesy of Bromberg's
Bromberg rendering.
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Photo by Kelli S. Hewett
Bromberg & Co. jewelers mourned the loss of president Ricky Bromberg on September 2, 2026. Construction continues as part of a long‑planned renovation that colleagues say was central to his vision for the company’s future. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
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Photo by Kelli S. Hewett
Bromberg's leaders say the operations will be seamless to customers during the administrative transition. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
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Photo by Kelli S. Hewett
Bromberg's is one of the longest-standing distributors of Rolex. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
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Photo by Kelli S. Hewett
Bromberg & Co. leaders say the the loss of president Ricky Bromberg, though significant, will not impact store operations or the ongoing renovation, set for 2027 completion. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
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Photo courtesy of Nancy Bromberg
Ricky and Nancy Bromberg were married for 39 years. Photo courtesy of Nancy Bromberg.
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Photo courtesy of the American Gem Society
The late Ricky Bromberg, president and sixth generation family owner of Bromberg & Co. jewelers, his late father, Frank Jr., and and brother Clayton at the 2013 American Gem Society's Circle of Distinction Awards in New York. Photo courtesy of the American Gem Society.
Frederick Wilkinson “Ricky” Bromberg never chased attention, even though his name was on the door.
As the sixth-generation head of Bromberg’s jewelers and president of Bromberg & Co., he sat at his grandfather’s old desk and carried a family business, one that began in 1836, through a pandemic and the start of a transformational renovation with the conviction that the job was less about him and more about everyone else.
“It's astonishing that it survived World Wars, Great Depression, Civil War, and it continued on,” said Brian Hood, the newly named president of Bromberg’s, who worked closely alongside Bromberg for 20 years. “For Ricky, it was important to continue that legacy. In the jewelry industry, the name Bromberg means something, and it matters. And that's what was a lot of what drove him — to be respectful of that reputation.”
Bromberg died Sept. 2 at the age of 67, serving 43 years with the company before becoming president after his father, Frank Bromberg Jr.
Many of those who spoke of him had catches of emotion in their voices and shed tears as they remembered him.
Bromberg impacted people.
His widow called her Eagle Scout husband “a Boy Scout in every way.”
“I often said, ‘I wish I could clone you,’ because he was just honesty and goodness and kindness, all wrapped into one,” said Nancy, his wife of 39 years.
The pair met at the jewelry store when she came in to visit a girlfriend who worked there.
Bromberg is repeatedly described as a man of integrity, style, kindness and impeccable standards. He often said that at Bromberg’s, they were “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”
Bromberg’s new Vice President Kitty Lovelady, who worked with Bromberg for 40 years, still repeats one of his mantras to her own children.
“He said, ‘I’ve never regretted doing the right thing,’ and that is how he lived,” Lovelady said. “It might not be the easiest way, but it was the right way.”
She said his standards seeped into everything from personnel decisions to how a gift bag was tied.
“Anything that represents Bromberg’s, he wanted it to meet a certain standard, because it represents him, his family, but also our stores,” Lovelady said.
Bromberg, like his family before him, always looked for ways to meet the future with intentionality.
“He was a true Southern gentleman with such warmth, grace and genuine kindness,” said Alexis Padis of the American Gem Society. “I feel grateful to have known him, and the legacy he leaves behind is truly special. This one hits hard.”
Bromberg’s public life stretched well beyond the jewelry cases.
He was a fourth-generation member of Cathedral Church of the Advent, where his grandparents were among the founding members.
This year he was asked to serve as senior warden — the dean’s trusted lay leader and “voice of the laity,” a role he called the greatest honor of his life.
He poured the same sense of duty into the wider community, through his work with organizations including the downtown City Action Partnership, Alabama Goodwill Industries, the Birmingham Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Rotary Club of Birmingham.
As a past president and longtime member of the Alabama Retail Association, Bromberg helped pass the Inventory Reduction for Charitable Purposes Relief Act in 2006. It changed Alabama law so that donations of retailer inventory to qualified charities weren’t subject to state sales tax.
“His voice mattered,” said Rick Brown, president of the Alabama Retail Association. “He made a difference in his community and across retail.”
That dedication was evident locally as well — he was an original member and past president of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce.
Bromberg also spearheaded the yearly towering community Christmas tree, right down to the specific optimal lighting plan and individual breaker box.
He called it a “gift to the community,” and his wife and associates took up working on the tree within days of his passing.
“Ricky cared deeply about Mountain Brook and stayed invested in what was happening here throughout his life,” said Lizzie Maymon, executive director of the Chamber. “We are so thankful he will always be a part of the Chamber’s story.”
Countless businesspeople spoke of Bromberg’s personal interest in their own ventures.
“Ricky was the elder statesman of Mountain Brook Village,” said Radcliff Menge, co-founder of Tom Beckbe clothing in Mountain Brook. “We'll truly miss him.”
Mayor Graham Smith called Bromberg a believer in craftsmanship.
“He treasured the beauty and uniqueness of the objects at Bromberg’s, but he also recognized the craftsmanship each of our local business owners brought to our community,” said Smith, who also knew Bromberg through church. “He saw people the same way he saw beautiful objects: each one uniquely made, worthy of appreciation and deserving of being valued.”
Those who spent time with Bromberg said faith and family framed his life — and he considered Bromberg’s employees to be part of that family. When COVID-19 shut doors and shook nerves, the conversation was clear: they would stand by their people and keep them paid and working.
“I observed and was impressed, and motivated, by his steadiness — the solid character he had in every decision he made, and his commitment to seeing that — particularly with regard to the business that he ran, that it stayed successful and the traditions of the Bromberg business and name continued,” said longtime friend and Bromberg’s attorney Billy Pritchard, who is also president of the City Council.
At home, on lazy lake weekends, Nancy said “Poppy” was happiest with a grandchild in his arms.
She said what lingers now is his imprint more than the loss, because they know he believed where he would spend eternity, which helps ease the pain.
“We were so fortunate to know him and have him for the length of time we did,” Nancy said. “He left a great mark, and we’ll just do everything we can to honor that.”
What's next for Bromberg Jewelers?
Bromberg & Co. leaders say customers at their jewelry stores can expect stability and the same high standards after the death of president and CEO Ricky Bromberg on Sept. 2.
The focus is on continuity rather than change at the 190-year-old family-owned jewelry company, with local stores in Mountain Brook and The Summit.
“As far as what their experience is going to be, their experience won’t be different,” said Nancy Bromberg, Ricky’s widow. “As far as their customer service, the vendors, the merchandise that we carry — will all just be excellent as it has been.”
Day-to-day leadership of the 190-year-old business now rests with newly named president Brian Hood, a 20-year Bromberg’s employee and manager of the Mountain Brook location, and new vice president Kathryn “Kitty” Lovelady, a key Bromberg’s employee for 40 years.
Ricky’s brother Clayton Bromberg Sr. is serving as chairman.
Nancy said her son, Wil Bromberg, and her nephew, Clayton Bromberg Jr., are seventh-generation family members who are directors and will remain in place as the next custodians of the legacy.
The multimillion-dollar expansion of the Mountain Brook location, which began in 2025, is continuing as planned. The mid-century modern architectural design, dating to the building’s construction in 1959, will carry through as the building space nearly doubles. The original architectural firm, Henry Sprott Long and Associates, also designed the expansion.
The store will remain open through the expansion, expected to be complete in 2027.
Hood said Ricky called the project a “generational renovation” and promised the rebuilt Mountain Brook store “will be the best-looking jewelry store in the country when we get finished.”
