Fruit importing company William H. Kopke Jr., Great Neck, N.Y., is mourning the loss of Paul Wigand, the director of operations who was with the company for more than 40 years.
Wigand died Oct. 17, surrounded by his wife and children. He was 68.
“I personally have lost my loyal and devoted colleague who joined me in handling all of the challenges of the past 40 years,” Peter Kopke Sr., president of the company, said in a statement. “It is with profound sadness and admiration that we say goodbye to this extraordinary person.”
Wigand traveled to numerous countries with Peter Kopke Sr., including Chile, Peru, Argentina and Spain, to meet with the growers of the fruit the company imported.
“He got to know hundreds of growers and exporters during his journey and was respected for the competence and integrity he had,” Kopke said in the statement.
Wigand started working on the piers as the fruit came in, and later in the office, handling the allocation of millions of boxes of fruit the company imported each year, according to the statement. During his years at William H. Kopke Jr., Wigand became an expert in all aspects of the business, from growing, shipping, packaging and handling.
In 2018, he received the inaugural Albert S. Marulli Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chilean and American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia.
Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Diane Lynn Wigand, sons Brien and Eric Wigand, and daughter Allison Wigand.
A funeral mass is Oct. 22 at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in Oceanside, N.Y.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, donations be made the American Diabetes Association.
The Kopke family is asking industry members to contribute short videos with “thoughts, special moments and memories shared with him.”
The videos are to be submitted online.
“You will be part of an unforgettable video to be cherished and remembered with Paul’s family,” according to the company.
The company requests the video be submitted no later than Oct. 25. They will be shared with the Wigand family and through the William H. Kopke Jr. company LinkedIn page.
