Altice, Homer

might not be a household name, but the Fila foot-wear he brought to the U.S. has become a well-known brand worn by top athletes such as Detroit Pistons basketball forward Grant Hill. Mr. -Altice began a mom-and-pop operation distributing Fila athletic shoes for the first time in this country from the kitchen of his home near Hunt Valley, MD in 1983. After nearly going bankrupt a year later, his humble company, initially called H. Altice Marketing, Inc., -blossomed into a multimillion-dollar international venture with its U.S. headquarters in Sparks, MD. Mr. Altice, who left the company in 1991, died of cancer Wednesday at home in Boca Raton, FL. He was 64. After selling his license back to Fila and moving to FL in 1991, Mr. Altice, who had lived in Ruxton for 7 years, became a distributor for Ellesse, an apparel company. He retired last year. "He was a very skilled marketer," said Mr. Altice's son-in-law, M. David LeBrun of Sparks. He was responsible for creating a major -employer for Baltimore."After Mr. Altice negotiated a lease agreement with Fila Spa of Italy to sell athletic shoes in this country, he had the difficult task of promoting a new shoe brand, Mr. LeBrun said. At the time, Fila was known here for its apparel. "It was his idea to buy the license from Fila in Italy to sell footwear in this country," said Howe Burch, senior vice president of advertising and communications for Fila USA. "Under his management, that company really established a position in this country as a serious player." (articles.sun-sentinel.com/1998-07-07/news/9807070059_1_memorial-pompano-beach-hollywood/4)