Jerry Grindell, longtime retailer and a dedicated member of the EPC, was 71
Jerry Grindell, longtime retailer and a dedicated member of the EPC, was 71
Jerry Grindell, a longtime member of the retail produce industry but perhaps best known for his tireless work with the Eastern Produce Council, died Friday, June 1, following a four-year battle with cancer. He was 71 years old and a resident of Brooklyn, NY.
Mr. Grindell was born Oct. 5, 1936, in Manhattan, where he graduated from high school and then a local community college. He got his first job in the produce industry when he was 9 years old working at a fruit store in Coney Island, NY, his wife, Arline, told The Produce News.
He remained in the produce industry the rest of his life, spending many years as the primary produce buyer for Co-op Supermarkets, a chain with 15 stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Mr. Grindell was also in the Army. He served as a staff sergeant in the Korean War from 1953 to 1955, stationed in both South Korea and Japan.
But for many in the produce industry in the Northeast, it was his long service to the Eastern Produce Council that stands out the most. He joined the council, whose membership represents retailers, wholesalers, brokers, sales agents and those in the transportation and service sectors of the fresh produce industry in the metropolitan New York area, in 1974.
He served two terms as EPC president and two terms as vice president in addition to serving on several committees for many years. When the council formed its Hall of Fame last year, Mr. Grindell was one of four individuals inducted into that inaugural slate during ceremonies held Nov. 4, 2006.
At the EPC meeting Tuesday evening, June 5, Tommy Krulder, a former EPC president, spoke about his longtime friend. "To our organization, Jerry was our go-to guy, always volunteering to help in any way he could - from the simplest task of handing out the raffle tickets to negotiating the expenses of our annual dinner-dance and these sponsored dinners."
He added, "Jerry had three loves in his life: his family, his temple and this organization. Jerry, we will miss you -- a dear friend, a devoted family man, just an all-around good guy."
In addition to his wife, Arline, whom he married Feb. 16, 1952, Mr. Grindell is survived by two sons, Neil and Steven, and five grandchildren.
Mr. Grindell was born Oct. 5, 1936, in Manhattan, where he graduated from high school and then a local community college. He got his first job in the produce industry when he was 9 years old working at a fruit store in Coney Island, NY, his wife, Arline, told The Produce News.
He remained in the produce industry the rest of his life, spending many years as the primary produce buyer for Co-op Supermarkets, a chain with 15 stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Mr. Grindell was also in the Army. He served as a staff sergeant in the Korean War from 1953 to 1955, stationed in both South Korea and Japan.
But for many in the produce industry in the Northeast, it was his long service to the Eastern Produce Council that stands out the most. He joined the council, whose membership represents retailers, wholesalers, brokers, sales agents and those in the transportation and service sectors of the fresh produce industry in the metropolitan New York area, in 1974.
He served two terms as EPC president and two terms as vice president in addition to serving on several committees for many years. When the council formed its Hall of Fame last year, Mr. Grindell was one of four individuals inducted into that inaugural slate during ceremonies held Nov. 4, 2006.
At the EPC meeting Tuesday evening, June 5, Tommy Krulder, a former EPC president, spoke about his longtime friend. "To our organization, Jerry was our go-to guy, always volunteering to help in any way he could - from the simplest task of handing out the raffle tickets to negotiating the expenses of our annual dinner-dance and these sponsored dinners."
He added, "Jerry had three loves in his life: his family, his temple and this organization. Jerry, we will miss you -- a dear friend, a devoted family man, just an all-around good guy."
In addition to his wife, Arline, whom he married Feb. 16, 1952, Mr. Grindell is survived by two sons, Neil and Steven, and five grandchildren.
