Obituaries
Patrick McTavish, who worked in sales and executive positions at eastern fruit companies, has died.
(UPDATED, Jan. 21) Produce industry pioneer Frieda Rapoport Caplan, 96, has died.
Apple industry veteran Scott Michael Hanses, 62, died March 13.
Carl Ream, who had a produce industry career for more than 30 years, with experience on the retail and supply sides, has died.
Tom “Tommy” Oliveri, who worked at Western Growers in various roles for almost 40 years, has died.
John J. Jerue, who founded a logistics company that bears his name, died July 25, at his home in Auburndale, Fla., just days before his 95th birthday.
Douglas Rockstead, an engineer for Tri-Pak Machinery Inc., Harlingen, Texas, has died.
Kay Hiatt, who sold Florida citrus for years in a male-dominated industry, died July 11 at Treasure Coast Hospice — Harper House, in Stuart, Fla.
Amy Lowe, executive vice president for PSSI, Keller, Wis., died in a plane crash with her husband.
Albert Garnica, the vice president of agricultural operations at Taylor Farms who helped the industry define reliability and quality that made the value-added salad category possible, has died.
Jack Cain Sr., a long-time employee of Catalytic Generators, Norforlk, Va., died Oct. 17. He was 85.
Dennis “Denny” Donovan, who spent almost three decades of his career at the Garin Co., Salinas, has died.
Leo Baribeau, who was president of Star Produce and active in the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, has died.
Hugh Hinton Branch, who founded Hugh H. Branch Inc. in 1957, has died.
Kam Chiu Lee, co-founder of Fresh Direct Produce Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, has died.
Jerry Havel, active in the produce industry right out of college and a veteran of the Nogales, Ariz., import business, has died.
Jim Gulick, former vice president of logistics-North America for Del Monte Fresh Produce, died on June 30.
Frank Capone, who spent some of his 30 years at Dominick’s Finer Foods as a buyer of imported produce in Nogales, Ariz., has died.
A Celebration of Life service has been scheduled for Frieda Rapoport Caplan, who died Jan. 18.
Nace Brian Cohen, who founded Progressive Produce in Los Angeles in 1967 with Charles Gilb, as a potato and onion company, has died.
Produce industry veteran Ron Dandrea, 57, died April 11.
Frank Robert “Bob” Nunes, who founded The Nunes Co. in 1976 with his brother Tom, has died.
Jim Sarale, co-founder and part-owner of Kings Crown Packing and Queens Crown, has died.
Bill Stewart, a founder of WesPak Sales, Dinuba, Calif., has died.
Robert Glasser, who started each morning at 2 a.m. for 60 years opening the family business, Torn & Glasser, has died.
Tim Corkill, a long-time regional marketing manager for FirstFruits Marketing, Yakima, Wash., has died.
Robert “Bobby” O. Bianco, a California table grape grower for more than five decades, has died.
Calvin Tribiano, a longtime sales executive at Vancouver, British Columbia-based The Oppenheimer Group, passed away on May 6 after a brief illness.
NEW YORK STATE — Some people work tirelessly for their region’s produce industry and are well-respected for it, but it isn’t until they’re gone that others realize their impact.