CHARLES FITZMORRIS

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Charles C. Fitzmorris Jr., former chief executive officer of Aldi, Batavia, Ill., died at his home here after a prolonged illness. He was 84.

Instead, mourners were asked to make contributions to Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago, or the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

In the 1960s, Fitzmorris and his business associates formed a chain of supermarkets called Benner Tea Co., based in Burlington, Iowa. The business was later sold to a private company headquartered in Germany and the name was changed to Aldi.

He served as CEO until 1978, when he resigned to manage his own company, which later became Worldwide Chain Store Systems.

Fitzmorris is survived by a sister, four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.