A senior Estée Lauder executive died in his husband’s arms inside their New York City apartment — just moments after telling him he felt light-headed.
Kendal Ascher’s husband, William Howe, told the Daily Mail that his spouse of four months went limp in the early hours of Feb. 25 as they desperately tried to reach the bedroom of their $2.8 million Chelsea home.
“There was no pulse, he was immediately unresponsive, he died in my arms,” Howe, 63, said. “It all happened within eight seconds.”
Ascher, 56, had taken a shower and said he felt light-headed so he sat down; Howe waited for a few minutes before helping his husband get back to his feet.
The pair could only go four steps before Ascher told his partner “wait.” Then, he went limp and died.
Ascher, who tied the knot with Howe in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in October after 12 years together, was described by his husband as “a little boy in a big man’s body.”
“He loved to laugh, and loved to play,” Howe said. “He was selfless, he worried about everyone and put himself second.”
Ascher’s cause of death is still under investigation, according to the outlet. Howe said his husband didn’t have any underlying health conditions.
Ascher’s career with the cosmetics giant spanned more than 25 years, according to his LinkedIn page. He joined the company in June 1995, where he spent four-and-a-half years as an account executive for Aramis Designer Fragrances.
He worked for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics between November 1999 and June 2001 before moving to L’Oreal where he worked as an assistant vice president in marketing for Kiehl’s.
Ascher returned to Estée Lauder in April 2007 and had been working as a SVP general manager for La Mer, Jo Malone and Darphin, North America since July 2021.
Estée Lauder executives described Ascher as “one of a kind” and someone who “was full of energy.”
“When [Ascher] walked into a room, he lit it up,” Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Estée Lauder Companies executive vice president and chief brand officer, said in an email seen by Business of Fashion.
“He was full of energy, kind and funny, and he had a heart of gold.
“He truly loved our company, and we were all blessed to be inspired by [Ascher].”
Tara Simon, the brand’s president in the Americas, described Ascher as an “incredible leader” and a “lover of beauty and luxury,” as reported by WWD.
“His impact extended far beyond his role as our North America luxury brands leader,” she said.
“He was a fearless advocate for his teams, a generous mentor, a lover of beauty and luxury, always an optimist and, mostly, a friend. Kendal was an incredible leader.
“He showed up to work the same way he lived his life — full of heart and conviction, levity and wisdom. He helped his teams believe they could accomplish things they hadn’t imagined and created success for all along the way.”
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