Ron Kochman, co-founder of KCL and longtime member of the foodservice industry has passed away. He was 85 years old.

Marius “Pepe” Griffo, a longtime member of the foodservice equipment industry has passed away due to a chronic illness. He was 82 years old.

James “Jim” DeLuca, an account representative for TriMark, passed away Aug. 30, 2021. DeLuca was 72 years old and spent more than 30 years in the foodservice industry.

Richard “Rick” Caron, executive vice president and chief innovation officer for Welbilt, passed away following a brief, non-COVID-19 related illness. He was 65 years old.

Longtime manufacturers’ rep Jerry Yundt passed away on Aug. 2. Yundt was 80 years old. He was a principal at Jerry Yundt & Associates and spent more than 45 years in the foodservice industry.

John “Jack” Sparacio passed away on June 21, 2021, in Carlsbad, Calif., following a long illness. The 78-year-old Sparacio had previously served as president of Lang Manufacturing, a Washington-based foodservice equipment manufacturer.

Mike Burkett, founder of Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies, passed away on March 29, 2021. He was 63 years old.

Neven Stanisic, a technician with KD Service, a Colorado-based service agent, passed away on March 22. He was one of 10 victims in the mass shooting at King Soopers in Boulder, Colo.

Alan Green, a longtime member of the foodservice industry passed away on Jan. 22, 2021. He was 81 years old.

Andrew Bachovin, a longtime member of the foodservice industry, died on Jan. 18, 2021. He was 74 years old.

Ali Group founder Luciano Berti passed away on Jan. 18, 2021, 8 days shy of his 90th birthday.

Frederick “Freddy” Simon, co-founder and namesake of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers died on Oct. 25, 2020. He was 95 years old.

Sam Grano de Oro, formerly of foodservice equipment manufacturer Cadco, died on Sept. 16, 2020.

Harmon Lewis, a longtime executive at American Panel, passed away on Sept. 1. He was 72 years old.

The Foodservice and Hospitality Division of the American Jewish Committee will honor those foodservice professionals who have passed due to COVID-19 with a virtual memorial service that will take place on October 14, 2020.

Barbara Heina, president of Cobblestone Ovens, an Illinois-based service agent, passed away on August 31.

Reuben Palm passed away on August 9 at 92 years of age. Palm used to own Palm Brothers Restaurant Equipment and Design, a Minnesota-based foodservice equipment and supplies dealer that was later part of the dealer rollup that became Strategic Equipment Corp. Palm’s parents had founded the dealership in 1910.

Longtime foodservice consultant Ronald Kooser, FCSI, passed away May 29, 2020. The 80-year-old Kooser was a principal at foodservice consulting firm Cini•Little.

Curt Benson, vice president/sales and marketing manager for Food Warming Equipment, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 29. He was 57 years old.