Brown Remembered for his Business Skill, Personal Touch

Jack Brown, the man who made Stater Bros. Markets into the largest private employer in the Inland Empire, was remembered by friends and colleagues as a fair-minded executive who always put customers and employees first.

“I can’t imagine life without Jack Brown,” said Bruce Varner, a Riverside attorney who served as Stater Bros.’s general counsel. “Jack was a great business executive, and he also had a great ability to get along with people. That had lot do with his success.”

Varner, a friend of Brown’s since both were attending college in the 1950s, said Brown had experienced “health problems” recently and appeared to be doing better, but suffered a setback last week. He declined to elaborate.

Brown will be remembered for treating his employees well while making Stater Bros., which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, a major player in the Southern California grocery industry, Varner said

“From a business standpoint, he always seemed to make the right decision,” Varner said. “He knew what needed to be done, and he always seemed to make the right decision for the right reason.”

A San Bernardino native, the 78-year-old Brown died Sunday evening surrounded by members of his family, according to a statement released by Stater Bros.

The statement did not list a cause of death, nor did it say where Brown died. A memorial will be held, but no date was mentioned.

Brown got his first grocery store job when he was 13 years old, working as a box boy at Berk’s Market Spot in San Bernardino.

Brown, who held the title executive chairman when he died, joined Stater Bros. in 1981. Prior to being named executive chairman, he held the titles chairman, president and chief executive officer.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Brown served on active duty with the Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam War. He was deeply proud of his military service.

In 2004, Brown received the “Friend of the Veteran Award” from the Riverside National Cemetery’s Veterans’ Advisory Committee. Seven years later, Brown was presented with the “Patriot Award,” the highest honor the Congressional Medal of Honor Society can bestow on an individual, according to the statement.

“Jack was a real patriot, and there wasn’t anything fake or put-on about it,” said Mike Stull, director of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State San Bernardino. “That’s who he really was.”

In July, the Cal State University Board of Trustees renamed the College of Business and Public Administration at Cal State San Bernardino after Brown, one of numerous accolades he received from the local community during his career.

“Jack was a very personable, down-to-earth guy, but it’s kind of hard to say why he was so successful,” Stull said. “I guess it was because he kept things simple and worked very hard. I know he put a lot of time into the job.”

Brown started Stater Bros. Charities in 2008, and his charitable work might ultimately be his strongest legacy, Inland Empire economist John Husing said.

“Jack Brown was one of the last great business leaders who had strong roots in his local community,” Husing said. “When you have corporate leaders who come and go every few years, you miss what Jack Brown brought to this area. There aren’t that many people like that left.”