Carl Yankowski, of Butler, speaks in 2001. He died on May 13 at Butler Memorial Hospital at the age of 74. Submitted photo

Carl Yankowski held administrative positions with many companies that created products and marketing campaigns recognized worldwide.

Throughout it all, Yankowski remembered his friends and family back in Butler, and frequently sent them the products he was working on, including Bose speakers, Reebok shoes and the first high-performance cassette tapes.

“I watched him from a distance and he would send new things from his jobs to his mother, Helen,” said Bob Rock, a lifelong friend of Yankowski who is from Butler. “He sent her one of the new Sony TVs in the 1990s. Everyone had just one TV back then — she had one in the kitchen.”

Yankowski, who grew up in Butler and went on to lead companies including Palm which designed the PalmPilot, died May 13 at Butler Memorial Hospital at the age of 74. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family, and was preceded in death by his parents. His funeral was Wednesday, May 17