William Garin, a top promoter of Iceberg lettuce, dead at 84
William Garin, a top promoter of Iceberg lettuce, dead at 84
William Garin, heralded as one the early and top promoters of Iceberg lettuce, died of natural causes Oct. 9 at his home in Salinas, CA. He was 84.
Mr. Garin was instrumental in starting Western Iceberg Lettuce Inc., at first a promotional organization concentrating on public relations promotion of Iceberg lettuce to food editors, home economics teachers and major advertisers on tie-in promotions. The Western Iceberg League, which became California the Iceberg Lettuce Commission in 1978, continued the job of promoting the consumption of Iceberg lettuce to the public. Mr. Garin was an active board member of the California Iceberg Lettuce Commission, Western Growers Association, and Growers Container & Shippers Development.
Mr. Garin became president of the Garin Co. in 1963. The company had been started by his father, H.P. Garin, and had farming operations in California in Brentwood, Firebaugh, Salinas, Taft, Bakersfield, El Centro and Blythe, as well as Arizona operations in Parker and Phoenix.
He was one of the early industry members to promote lettuce internationally. He traveled to Iran in the late 1960s to promote and consult with the shah of Iran, and in 1977 traveled to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also promoted the export of asparagus to South America.
He retired from produce with the sale of the Garin Co. in 1983.
Mr. Garin introduced a celery field-packing unit in Salinas to eliminate the need for a shed operation. According to Mr. Garin's son, Peter, his father also was the first to initiate field packing of cantaloupe.
"My father was always watching developments in the industry," Peter Garin said. He was one of the first to get into vacuum cooling. He also credited his father with popularizing the Iceberg lettuce wedge.
This past summer, Bill Garin was awarded the E.E. (Gene) Harden Lifetime Achievement Award, with certificates of recognition from the California Assembly and Senate.
Mr. Garin was a great outdoorsman. He spent time at the St. Germaine Duck Club, a deer club south of Salinas, or playing golf at the Corral de Tierra Country Club. He fished from Alaska to Chile to New Zealand with friends and family.
Mr. Garin was widowed from his first wife, Eleanor Hoobler, in the early 1970s and married Roberta (Bobbie) Vuncannon in 1973, who survives him. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children Anne, Marian (Puffy), Noel (Tiny), Peter, and Desiree (Baby); and his grandchildren, Scott and Sam Causley, Jody Garin, Mila Bock and great-grandson Benjamin Sherwood Causley; a sister, Elsie Jane Dill; and cousins Annette Warren and Maxine Thayer.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Oct. 15 in Spreckels, CA.
The family requests memorials be made to Heartland Hospice 2511 Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940; Salinas Valley Memorial Foundation, 450 East Romie Lane, Salinas, CA 93901; or to donors favorite charities.
Mr. Garin was instrumental in starting Western Iceberg Lettuce Inc., at first a promotional organization concentrating on public relations promotion of Iceberg lettuce to food editors, home economics teachers and major advertisers on tie-in promotions. The Western Iceberg League, which became California the Iceberg Lettuce Commission in 1978, continued the job of promoting the consumption of Iceberg lettuce to the public. Mr. Garin was an active board member of the California Iceberg Lettuce Commission, Western Growers Association, and Growers Container & Shippers Development.
Mr. Garin became president of the Garin Co. in 1963. The company had been started by his father, H.P. Garin, and had farming operations in California in Brentwood, Firebaugh, Salinas, Taft, Bakersfield, El Centro and Blythe, as well as Arizona operations in Parker and Phoenix.
He was one of the early industry members to promote lettuce internationally. He traveled to Iran in the late 1960s to promote and consult with the shah of Iran, and in 1977 traveled to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also promoted the export of asparagus to South America.
He retired from produce with the sale of the Garin Co. in 1983.
Mr. Garin introduced a celery field-packing unit in Salinas to eliminate the need for a shed operation. According to Mr. Garin's son, Peter, his father also was the first to initiate field packing of cantaloupe.
"My father was always watching developments in the industry," Peter Garin said. He was one of the first to get into vacuum cooling. He also credited his father with popularizing the Iceberg lettuce wedge.
This past summer, Bill Garin was awarded the E.E. (Gene) Harden Lifetime Achievement Award, with certificates of recognition from the California Assembly and Senate.
Mr. Garin was a great outdoorsman. He spent time at the St. Germaine Duck Club, a deer club south of Salinas, or playing golf at the Corral de Tierra Country Club. He fished from Alaska to Chile to New Zealand with friends and family.
Mr. Garin was widowed from his first wife, Eleanor Hoobler, in the early 1970s and married Roberta (Bobbie) Vuncannon in 1973, who survives him. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children Anne, Marian (Puffy), Noel (Tiny), Peter, and Desiree (Baby); and his grandchildren, Scott and Sam Causley, Jody Garin, Mila Bock and great-grandson Benjamin Sherwood Causley; a sister, Elsie Jane Dill; and cousins Annette Warren and Maxine Thayer.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Oct. 15 in Spreckels, CA.
The family requests memorials be made to Heartland Hospice 2511 Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940; Salinas Valley Memorial Foundation, 450 East Romie Lane, Salinas, CA 93901; or to donors favorite charities.
