OBITUARIES 2003-12-22

The industry lost several important top executives and founding members of retail and distribution companies in 2003. Leaders who died during the year include the following:

hland Corp., in 1961, and was named chairman in 1969. He retired in 1996.

Ronald L. Ziegler, 63, former president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Alexandria, Va. He became a nationally recognized figure while serving as press secretary and assistant to the president for Richard Nixon. He headed NACDS from 1988 until his retirement in 1999.

Jacob E. Davis, 97, former Kroger Co. chairman, president and CEO. He succeeded Joe Hall as president and CEO following Hall's retirement in 1964.

Alex Dandy, 74, former chairman and chief executive of two Michigan independent supermarket chains -- Hamady Bros. Food Markets, Flint, Mich., and Chatham Food Markets, Detroit.

Charles Houchens, 91, former co-founder of King Soopers, Denver, now a Kroger division.

Chris R. Hoerr III, 75, former past chairman and CEO of Chris Hoerr & Son Co., a food distributor in Peoria, Ill.

Telemachus Demoulas, 82, founded Demoulas Market Basket, Tewksberry, Mass., with his brother George in 1955.

Joseph Doria Sr., founded Grace's Marketplace, a specialty Italian food store in New York. Previously, he had worked for Balducci's.

Dick Feldpausch, 73, former chairman of Felpausch Food Centers, Hastings, Mich., a company founded by his father, Roman Feldpausch, in 1933.

Irving Sloan, 88, former New York supermarket operator and brother of the founder of the Sloan's supermarket chain.

John B. Cullen, 83, co-chairman of King Kullen Grocery Co., Bethpage, N.Y., and son of the company's founder.