Richard N. Cabela, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Cabela's, passed away at his home in Sidney, Nebraska on Feb. 18. He was 77. Along with his wife Mary and brother Jim, he founded the American outdoor retail firm somewhat inadvertently in 1961, when he bought $45 of fishing flies in Chicago. With the flies not moving off the store shelf, Richard started selling them through the mail. That led to the development of the Cabela's catalog and eventually the firm with $3.6 billion revenues and 50 retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. In 2001, Richard Cabela was honored by several media and institutions for his dedication hunting and fishing, which still represent the core business for the chain that bear his family's name. He served as chairman of Cabela's until June 2013, when he became chairman emeritus and Jim Cabela became chairman.

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