Everett J. “Vic” Firth, the namesake of the largest drumstick company in the world, passed away yesterday at the age of 85. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, Firth joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a percussionist in 1952. Following a desire to make his parts easier to play, Firth hand-carved his own prototype drumsticks which he sent to a Canadian wood-turner to produce copies of.

The sticks gained popularity through Firth’s students and led a Chicago-based music store to put in an order for Vic Firth’s sticks, and thus the world’s largest drumstick company was born. In 2010, the company merged with the largest cymbal manufacturers in the world, the similarly family-owned Avedis Zildjian Co, and continues to exist as a largely independent part of the Zildjian family.

Firth has also served as the head of the percussion department at New England Conservatory, and is a Hall Of Fame member of the Percussive Arts Society.