Services for Klein's founder held

Services were to be held Monday in Forest Hill, Md. for Ralph L. Klein, founder of the nine-store Klein's ShopRite of Maryland chain.

Klein, noted for his influence in business and philanthropy in Harford County, Md., passed away Nov. 22 at age 88, according to an obituary.

Klein was born in 1926 in Fallston, Md., in the same building where his father Maurice ran a general merchandise store. Following service for the U.S. Army in World War II and a business degree from the University of Maryland, Ralph went into business with his father. Ralph Klein’s three sons, Andrew, Michael and Howard, would also become partners in the business which grew to nine supermarkets in the Baltimore area. In 2009, the business joined the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative.