Starter Bros. Chairman Jack Brown Dies at 78

Jack H. Brown, executive chairman of Starter Bros. Markets, died on Nov. 13. He was 78. 

A native of San Bernardino, Calif., Brown began his supermarket career as a box boy at Berk’s Market Spot in San Bernardino when he was 13 years old, sparking a 65 year career in the grocery industry. 

Brown joined Stater Bros. in 1981. He served as president and chief executive officer of Stater Bros. Markets for over 35 years and as chairman for Stater Bros. for over 30 years. Brown became the executive chairman after appointing Pete Van Helden to the position of president and CEO earlier this year.

“Grief is not a strong enough word to describe what the Stater Bros. ‘Family’ feels,” says Van Helden. “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."

Brown was a Navy Veteran who served on active duty with the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy during the Vietnam era. Brown’s support of the military and the nation’s veterans remains unparalleled.

In 2004, he received the “Friend of the Veteran Award” from the Riverside National Cemetery’s Veterans’ Advisory Committee for his continued support of volunteer services to Veterans and their families. Brown also received the “Patriot Award” in 2011, the highest award the Congressional Medal of Honor Society can bestow upon an individual.

In addition, Jack was one of ten Distinguished Americans to receive the 1992 “Horatio Alger Award” in Washington, D.C., in recognition of his outstanding contributions to America and the “American Dream.”

Brown has received countless awards for his contributions to the supermarket industry. In 2001, Brown received the California Grocers Association “Hall of Achievement Award” for a lifetime of dedication to the grocery industry, and in 2005, he received the “Sidney R. Rabb Award,” the Supermarket Industry’s highest award.

Brown has been recognized for his generosity in giving back to the valued communities he loved and served. In 2008, he established Stater Bros. Charities, the philanthropic arm of Stater Bros. Markets as a way to give back in a larger way. Brown was a founder of the Boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino, and the Founding Chairman of Children’s Fund of San Bernardino County.

Most recently, the California State University Board of Trustees named the “Jack H. Brown” College of Business and Public Administration at California State University San Bernardino in July 2016.

Brown is survived by his wife Debbie, three 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.