Stew Leonard, namesake of popular grocery chain, dies at 93

Stew Leonard, founder of grocery chain bearing his name, died yesterday at the age of 93 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City after a brief illness.

Born in Norwalk on Dec. 1, 1929, Leonard graduated from Norwalk High School and the University of Connecticut”™s School of Agriculture. He worked for his family”™s dairy business at Clover Farms Dairy in Norwalk, which made daily deliveries of fresh milk.

Opting to move into retail, Leonard opened his eponymous store in December 1969. His 17,000-square-foot store initially carried only eight items. Over the years, Stew Leonard”™s grew into a $600 million business with seven stores in the Tri-State area and more than 2,500 employees. The company remains a family-owned business, run by Leonard”™s son Stew Leonard Jr. with help from his siblings Tom Leonard, Beth Leonard Hollis and Jill Leonard Tavello; five of his grandchildren have also joined the business.

Leonard is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marianne Guthman Leonard, and their four children, 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Photo courtesy Stew Leonard’s