Gregg Ogden

Gregg Ogden, a businessman who founded a national athletic calendar printing company and became an executive within Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has died. He was 45. Ogden died Saturday of complications from a ruptured colon at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago, said Frank Broyles, a friend. He was treated for a form of leukemia several years ago and had a liver transplant in February, Broyles said. Ogden founded Athletic World Advertising in 1996, a leading producer of athletic schedule posters. It grew to have about 300 workers between its Fayetteville and Tulsa, Okla., offices. He stayed on as chairman and owner of that company when in October 2006 he moved into a job in as vice president of member services for Sam's Club, the warehouse store division of Wal-Mart. Odgen had a reputation for business success and for giving to worthy causes. He served on the 30-member board of the American Cancer Society's Mid-South division.