IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Jack H. Brown, executive chairman of Stater Bros. Markets, the largest private employer in the Inland Empire, has died.
Brown, 78, passed away Sunday evening surrounded by his family, according to a statement released today by Stater Bros. Markets.
Cause of death was not given.
Brown, a San Bernardino native, was remembered for his personal touch with his employees as well as his knowledge of the grocery industry.
“Grief is not a strong enough word to describe what the Stater Bros. ‘family’ feels,” Pete Van Helden, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said in the statement. “Jack touched every one of us in a very personal way, and it is that legacy that we must carry forward. He loved the business, his company and each one of us.”
Brown, who started his supermarket career 65 years ago when he went to work as a box boy at Berk’s Market Spot in San Bernardino, joined Stater Bros. in 1981.
He was the company’s president and chief executive officer for more than 35 years and its chairman for more than 30 years.
Brown, a U.S. Navy veteran, became executive chairman earlier this year after appointing Van Helden president and chief executive officer, according to the statement.
In 2008, Brown started Stater Bros. Charities, which has given million of dollars to local charitable operations since its founding. Brown was quoted as saying he wanted to be most remembered not so much for his business success but for giving back to the local
community.
Burial will be private, with a memorial service to be held later, according to the statement.
