Harold Weisfeld, founder of Fruit Distributing Corp. of California, Commerce, has died.
Weisfeld died June 2. He was 90.
Weisfeld grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, where his father had a citrus packing shed. He worked at the family business in his youth in the 1930s and 1940s, and after serving in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s, he returned to Texas to work in the citrus groves, according to a statement from his son, Jeff Weisfeld.
A short time later, Harold Weisfeld moved to California and worked for Mendelson-Zeller Co., a distributor on the Los Angeles wholesale market. He struck out on his own in 1958, brokering Texas citrus.
Over the years, Fruit Distributing Corp. of California added tomatoes, potatoes, onions, tree fruit, limes and other items, according to the statement.
Harold sold the business to his son Jeff in the early 2000s, but he still dropped by the office regularly to visit.
Survivors include sons Jeff and Stuart Weisfeld, and daughter Lynde Weisfeld-Kaufman. Stuart is a principal at Worldwide Produce, a Los Angeles foodservice distributor, and Weisfeld Kaufman works in sales at Worldwide Produce, according to the statement.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, services have been postponed until Sept. 11. Details will be available in the coming months, according to the statement.
