Jack Henry Brown, Jr.

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Birth: Jun. 14, 1938 San Bernardino County California, USA

Death: Nov. 13, 2016 San Bernardino County California, USA

Jack H. Brown Jr., executive chairman of Stater Bros. Markets, died Sunday, according to San Bernardino-based Stater Bros. He was 78.

Brown died at 10:45 p.m., surrounded by his entire family, according to a company statement.

“Grief is not a strong enough word to describe what the Stater Bros. ‘Family’ feels,” Stater Bros. President and CEO Pete Van Helden said in the statement. “Jack touched every one of us in a very personal way, and it is that legacy that we must carry forward. He loved the business, his company and each one of us.”

The Stater Bros. board elected Brown president in April 1981. At the time, the chain had 92 stores with annual sales of $500 million. Under Brown’s leadership, the chain grew from 69 to 169 stores.

In December, Brown stepped down as chief executive officer and took on the role of executive chairman.

Brown, a native of San Bernardino, was known for his charitable work on behalf of the community.

Brown was a model citizen when it came to his employees, his customers and his community, said Carl Dameron, who works closely with Salvation Army of San Bernardino and other groups that he said benefited greatly from Stater Bros.’ generosity.

“Jack Brown’s death is a great loss to our community,” Dameron said. “He was someone who believed in the best of us and he contributed to our economic welfare, our social welfare and he’s also a person who constantly said positive things. He upped the morale of our community.”

Brown was passionate about the city of San Bernardino.

He was born and raised along San Bernardino’s stretch of Route 66, and grew up to be a beloved philanthropist, supporting a variety of charitable organizations in the community — from Redlands’ annual Believe Walk for Inland Women Fighting Cancer to the Salvation Army in San Bernardino.

“He could have moved the home base for Stater Bros. out of the Inland Empire to Orange County or anywhere else, and he didn’t,” Dameron said. “He re-committed to here.”

His well-known community involvement famously embraced San Bernardino’s car culture, and Stater Bros. Markets became the title sponsor of the Route 66 Rendezvous between 1997 and 2013.

A Navy veteran, Brown was fiercely patriotic, showcasing memorabilia honoring squadrons from the former Norton Air Force Base at the Stater Bros. corporate offices at San Bernardino International Airport.

Brown is survived by his cherished wife, Debbie, three beloved daughters; J. Kathleen Smith (Michael Smith), Cara Hoffman (Scott Hoffman) and Melissa Koss (Pete Koss). He had seven grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Colleen, Caden, Dylan, Julianna, Jack Ryan and Emma.

His burial will be private, for family only, with a memorial to follow at a later date, according to the statement.

From the San Bernardino Sun http://www.sbsun.com/obituaries/20161114/stater-bros-leader-jack-br...

Family links:

Parents:

Jack Henry Brown (1889 - 1946)
Rose Delgado Brown (1919 - 2011)
Burial: Mountain View Cemetery San Bernardino San Bernardino County California, USA

Created by: Steven D. Fairweather Record added: Nov 14, 2016 Find A Grave Memorial# 172735079