Frederik Meijer | |
---|---|
Born | Frederik Gerhard Hendrik Meijer December 7, 1919 |
Died | November 25, 2011
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 91)
Occupation | Businessman |
Title | Chairman, Meijer |
Spouse |
Lena Rader (
m. 1946) |
Children |
Doug Meijer Hank Meijer Mark Meijer |
Parents |
|
Frederik Gerhard Hendrik Meijer (December 7, 1919 – November 25, 2011) was an American billionaire businessman who was the chairman of the Meijer hypermarket chain, headquartered near his former hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [1]
Meijer was born in Greenville, Michigan, [1] the son of Gezina Mantel and Hendrik Meijer, Dutch immigrants who had married in Greenville in 1912. [2] In 1934, at age 14, he worked with his father Hendrik to found Meijer's North Side Grocery in Greenville. [1]
In 1962, he launched Meijer Thrifty Acres with his father and pioneered one-stop shopping. [1] He inherited the company after the death of his father in 1964. [1] In 1990, he handed over the company to his sons, Doug and Hank, although he remained the chairman of the board until his death. [1]
As of September 2011, he was worth US$5 billion. [1] He was the 60th richest person in the United States at the time of his death. [1] [3]
In 1946, he married Lena Rader (1919–2022), the daughter of farmers, who had been a cashier in one of his stores. [2] They had three sons, Doug, Hank and Mark Meijer. [4] His grandson Peter was the U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. [5] Meijer died on November 25, 2011, at the Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after suffering a stroke in his Grand Rapids home. [6] His wife Lena died at 102 years old on January 15, 2022. [7]
Meijer helped establish the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. [8] An Honors College at Grand Valley State University is named for him. [9] A Chair in Dutch culture at Calvin University is also named for him. [10] The Frederik Meijer Trail in Kent County, Michigan, and the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park are named after him following donations by the Frederik and Lena Meijer Foundation. [11] [12]