Thomas P. Infusino, former chairman and CEO of Wakefern Food Corp. and co-president of Nutley Shoprite, died on February 5 at 89.
Mr. Infusino was born in Hillside, NJ and resided in Nutley, NJ for 62. His career in the food industry spans more than 70 years and is distinguished by his championing of the consumer and the cooperative spirit and his ardent support of the independent supermarket retailer.
A member of the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative since 1953, Infusino joined its board of directors in 1965. In 1971, he was elected to the office of president, a position which would later be renamed chairman and CEO. Infusino’s service to Wakefern was marked by his ability to lead the cooperative through some of its more notable struggles. Strength of character, integrity and uncompromising ethics all have been used to describe the man who led Wakefern for 34 years. His leadership and resolve have been instrumental in helping Wakefern/ShopRite to become the Northeast’s leading supermarket retailer and a respected corporate citizen.
In 2005, having served as chairman and CEO for more than three decades, he was named chairman emeritus of Wakefern Food Corp.
Recognized for his philanthropy, Infusino has been honored with many awards including the Prime Minister’s Medal in 1974, the highest civilian award given by the State of Israel – he felt deeply and strongly about Israel and its continued security and development. He also received the Lifeline Award, given by the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation. The Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology created the annual Thomas P. Infusino Prize Lecture in Cancer Causation and Epidemiology in recognition of his accomplishments.
Infusino’s contributions to the supermarket industry were acknowledged when he received the New Jersey Food Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 and in 2002. Supermarket News named him to its list of 50 Visionaries Who Transformed Food Retailing.
Infusino was a founding member of the New Jersey Food Council, serving as its chairman from 1974 to 1976 and receiving the organization’s 1990 Industry Leadership award. He served as a member of the board of governors of the National Conference for Community and Justice. He was also the longest standing member of the board of directors for the New Jersey Food Council, and was a member of the Food Council Committee for Good Government.
He also served for many years on the board of directors of the Valley National Bank. Tom was an active member and officer of local Nutley organizations such as the Lion’s Club, the Family Service Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the Board of Deacons at the St. Paul’s Congregational Church.
He received multiple awards from local organizations, such as the Jaycees and the PBA, where he received the Citizen of the Year Award. He was also inducted into the Nutley Hall of Fame.
As a young man Infusino worked at a produce stand in his hometown of Irvington, NJ, beginning his lifelong passion for the food industry. Sam Aidekman, his employer and one of the founding members of Wakefern, co-signed a loan in 1946 enabling Infusino and his brothers, Chuck and Joe, to open their own grocery store on Sanford Avenue in Newark, NJ. In 1953, Infusino and his partner, Vincent Lo Curcio Jr., joined Wakefern. Together they operated the Nutley Park ShopRite, a partnership that continues today with Lo Curcio’s son, Vincent Lo Curcio III.
Infusino was a veteran of World War II, having served in the Army on the battlefields of North Africa and Italy. Following his return from active duty, he married Estelle and settled in Nutley, where they raised four sons.
Most recently, Infusino was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, by Seton Hall University for his commitment to high professional standards and business ethics. In recognition of his more than 50 years of service to Wakefern, a chair has been endowed in his name at the New Jersey Medical School at UMDNJ, the largest health sciences institution in the nation.
Infusino is survived by his sons, Jeffrey Infusino and his wife Randi, David Infusino, and Michael Infusino and his wife Helen. He is also survived by his brothers, Chuck Infusino Sr. and Salvatore Infusino, and his grandchildren, Thomas P. Infusino III, Anthony, Michael Jr., Andrianna, Scott and Michelle Infusino. He was predeceased by his wife Estelle (nee Balsam) Infusino; his son Thomas P. Infusino Jr., and his brothers Angelo Infusino and Joseph Illard.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center Foundation, 703 Main St., Paterson, N.J. 07503, or the Nutley Volunteer Emergency and Rescue Squad, Box 172, Nutley, NJ 07110.