Pete Manos, retired CEO of Giant/Landover, passed away January 7 at the age of 79.
A native of Washington, DC, Manos graduated from Benjamin Franklin University (now part of George Washington University) where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in commercial science. He was a certified public accountant. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Navy for three years before joining Giant’s accounting department in 1960. Later that year, he was transferred to the grocery purchasing department. In 1963 he was named senior buyer and in 1970 was elevated to manager of grocery purchasing and then to director of grocery purchasing. In 1977 he was named VP of deli and four years later was promoted to senior VP of all perishable operations. Those duties were ultimately expanded to include all food operations and later pharmacy operations.
In 1992, then-company president, chairman and CEO Izzy Cohen relinquished the president title to Manos. In 1995, after Cohen’s death, Manos was named chairman and CEO and became a Giant board member. His retirement in 1999 coincided with the closing of the acquisition of Giant Food by Royal Ahold.
Manos, whose wife of 55 years, Barbara, passed away in October of last year, is survived by two daughters, Helene Manos of Annapolis and Cindy Manos and husband Mark of Millersville, MD; a grandson Anthony; a sister, Mary Gitlin of Florida; brother, Christ Manos of Florida; nephew Jimmy Manos of Florida, and many nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.
Friends may call on Thursday, January 14 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD. A service will be held on Friday, January 15 at 10 a.m. at Ss. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 2747 Riva Rd., Annapolis, MD. Interment to follow at Lakemont Memorial Gardens, Davidsonville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to John’s Hopkins Children’s Cancer Foundation, 111 Market Street, Suite 901, Baltimore, MD 21202 (www.childrens cancerfoundation.org) or a charity of your choice.