Steve Sheetz, former CEO of eponymous convenience store chain, dies
Stephen G. Sheetz, former chairman and CEO of the Sheetz convenience store chain, died Sunday, the family-owned company announced. He was 77 years old.
Sheetz died of respiratory complications after being hospitalized on Dec. 28, according to the Altoona Mirror.
He was treated for pneumonia for two weeks last month before returning home on Christmas Eve. He returned to the hospital a few days later.
Sheetz was also diagnosed with leukemia in 2011.
Originally from Altoona, Sheetz began working for Sheetz Kwik Shopper, which his older brother Bob founded, when he was 12 years old. After graduating from Penn State, he was named supervisor and director of operations for the company’s four locations in 1969.
The brothers continued to expand with Stephen Sheetz as CEO from 1984 to 1995 after his brother Bob retired.
He served as chairman of the company’s board of directors from 1995 to 2013 before becoming president of Sheetz’s new oil transportation company. He retired in 2020.
Sheetz now has approximately 27,000 employees across its more than 800 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
Stephen Sheetz and his wife Nancy also launched a program to provide mentoring, financial support and scholarships to Penn State Altoona students with leadership potential, as well as another program to encourage entrepreneurship in his hometown. The couple was also known for frequently making financial donations to other local charities and organizations.
“Above all, Uncle Steve was the center of our family,” said Travis Sheetz, current president and CEO of the company. “We are deeply grateful for his leadership, vision and unwavering commitment to our employees, customers and communities. »
