Albertson, Who Founded Grocery Chain, Is Dead At 86

BOISE, Idaho - Joseph A. Albertson, the grocery magnate who built a Boise store into the nation's sixth-largest supermarket chain, died yesterday at his Boise home. He was 86.

Albertson's Inc. would not comment on the cause of death.

Mr. Albertson was born Oct. 17, 1906, in Yukon, Okla., and grew up in Caldwell, about 20 miles west of Boise. After high school, he took business courses at the private College of Idaho in Caldwell.

He met his wife, the former Kathryn McCurry, in a chemistry class at the small liberal-arts college. They were married by the school's first president, William Judson Boone, on New Year's Eve 1929.

The school was renamed Albertson College of Idaho in 1991 in recognition of the nearly $35 million he had contributed over the years.

"It's heartbreaking. He's been a part of our lives here at the college ever since he and Kay went to school," Albertson College President Robert Hendren said today. "He was a friend. He was a resource. Having access to him and his kind of tower of wisdom is the great loss."

Mr. Albertson was known as a private man who quietly gave away millions of dollars to various causes. He donated 14 acres along the Boise River to the city of Boise in 1989 for development of what became Kathryn Albertson Park, named for his wife of 63 years.

Mr. Albertson left the College of Idaho after two years to work in the grocery business. He opened his own store with L.S. Skaggs and Tom Cuthbert in 1939 with $5,000 of his own and $7,500 borrowed from an aunt.

The first Albertson's introduced a number of services unheard of in markets of the day, including a scratch bakery, one of the first magazine racks in the country and "Big Joe's" homemade ice cream cones.

Sales totaled more than $170,000 with a net profit of more than $10,000 after the first year. But the store struggled through the World War II years as food supplies were scarce and thousands of Idaho men were overseas. Women stepped up to fill in the job vacancies.

The Skaggs partnership was dissolved and Albertson's was formed in 1945.

As the chain expanded, the founder often appeared at store openings and anniversary celebrations, meeting employees and customers.

Albertson's now is the nation's sixth-largest retail food and drug company with 651 stores in 19 states in the West and South, a company statement said. It employs more than 70,000 people and has annual sales of more than $10 billion.

Last fall, Forbes magazine ranked Albertson as the 80th richest person in the country, estimating his worth at $930 million.

Mr. Albertson resigned from the company in 1989, but he and his wife remained on the board of directors. Gary Michael, who joined Albertson's in 1966, is chairman of the board and chief executive officer.

Mr. Albertson is survived by his wife and a daughter.