Julian J. Leavitt, 68
- Funeral services were held April 18 here for Julian J. Leavitt, former president and chief executive officer of Sweet Life Foods Corp., Suffield, Conn.
Leavitt, 68, died April 16. He joined Sweet Life, now a division of Supervalu, Minneapolis, in 1953. Within six years of joining Sweet Life, Leavitt became executive vice president. The board named him president and chief executive in 1971, a position he held until he retired in 1995.
In addition to his company work, Leavitt served as National- American Wholesale Grocers' Association treasurer from 1974 to 1984. He then served as vice chairman from 1984 to 1986, and as chairman from 1986 to 1988.
This year, he received NAWGA's Herbert Hoover Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions to the food distribution industry and to society.
Leavitt's service to not-for-profit organizations included the directorships of United Cerebral Palsy of Western Massachusetts; the Springfield, Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, and Temple Beth El, also in Springfield. Michael Wright, chairman, president and chief executive of Supervalu, said, "Julian Leavitt's tremendous contributions to his community, his industry and specifically to Sweet Life will continue to perpetuate his memory."
Leavitt's wife, the former Barbara Wineck, died last year. Leavitt is survived by four children, a granddaughter, brother, and stepbrother.
Dwayne B. Reinhart , 75
LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Funeral services were held here for Dwayne B. "Rhiny" Reinhart, 75, founder of the wholesaler Gateway Foods and the chains Rainbow Foods and Festival Foods. He died eariler this month due to heart problems.
Born in Shell Lake, Wis., in 1920, Reinhart entered the industry after World War II as a salesman for Rice Lake Grocery Co., a local wholesaler. He later launched Clover Farm Stores, a group of independents, and over 10 years built it up to about 100 stores. He came to La Crosse in 1956, where he and partner David Nudd bought Gateway Grocery Co., a wholesaler that served 65 stores and had $5 million in annual sales. In a year, they boosted sales to $10 million.
Over the years, Reinhart started or acquired numerous companies and enlarged Gateway's facilities, renaming it Gateway Foods in 1967. He formed or helped launch Kwik Trip convenience stores in 1965, Reinhart Institutional Foods food service in 1972, Rainbow Foods in 1983 and Festival Foods in 1987. By the late 1980s, Gateway was the largest privately held U.S. food wholesaler, with sales exceeding $2 billion. In 1989, Gateway was sold to Scrivner Inc., acquired by Fleming Cos. in 1994.
Reinhart is survived by his wife, Marjorie; four married children; a brother, Darrel; 10 grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
David Barnhizer, 47
HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- Funeral services were held here April 20 for David Barnhizer, 47, division vice president of Dillon Stores here. He died after suffering a severe stroke at his home.
Barnhizer started at Dillon in 1964 and in 1977 became a produce supervisor. In 1987, he was made a district manager, handling regional retail operations. He was named director of produce operations for all Dillon stores in 1989. He returned to retail operations in 1993 as executive director and was appointed vice president Aug. 1, 1995. An energetic individual, he was active in running and bicycling and was an experienced Motocross rider. He is survived by three daughters and a son.
Stan Dukesherer, 67
LOS ANGELES -- Funeral services were held here earlier this month for Stan Dukesherer, 67, a veteran southern California retailer. Dukesherer began as a store manager for Shoppers Markets here. He then served as director of operations for Royal Markets, a local independent chain, and subsequently as president of King Cole Market, a single-store operator. Later, he became director of Supermarkets Interstate, a J.C. Penney subsidiary that operated 183 Treasury Stores, a supercenter ancestor. He retired from the industry in 1980 after helping to liquidate the Treasury units. Dukesherer is survived by his wife, Mary; seven sons, one daughter and 22 grandchildren.
