Seb Gertmenian, chairman emeritus of Ready Pac Produce and father of Ready Pac founder Dennis Gertmenian, passed away on Sunday, 8 December at the age of 101.
Gertmenian was well known in the fresh produce industry, from his humble beginnings with a produce stand in Monrovia up to his retirement from Pasadena Produce at age 82.
Seb was also a devoted family man and leader in his community, and he generously supported its needs.
He owned Pasadena Produce, which served a wide variety of foodservice customers in the San Gabriel valley for over 50 years.
Ready Pac was founded in the back of the Pasadena Produce warehouse, and Seb provided the initial financial backing to support the start-up of the company. It was his commitment to serving the local community that formed the foundation for Ready Pac’s core values, and those values are still in place today.
'The produce industry has lost a legend, and we all owe Seb a debt of gratitude for what he helped to build,' the group said in a statement. 'He will be missed. All of us at Ready Pac offer our sincere condolences to Seb’s family as we reflect on his contributions to the produce industry, our company, and his community.'
