[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 180 (Monday, November 28, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S7904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING FREDERIK MEIJER

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I wish to speak to mark the passing of 
Frederik Meijer, one of Michigan's most distinguished leaders in 
business and philanthropy. Barbara and I were saddened to learn of his 
passing on Friday at the age of 91. It is by no means an overstatement 
to say that Fred Meijer changed the face of our State, and the legacy 
he leaves will continue to affect us in Michigan and America and beyond 
for decades hence.
  Most Michiganians know him best through the business he built, one of 
the largest family owned companies in the Nation. Fred grew up working 
long hours in the Greenville, MI, grocery store that his father, an 
immigrant from Holland, opened in 1934. Over the next three decades the 
business grew until, in 1962, Fred and his father expanded from 
groceries into general merchandise. They called their new store 
``Thrifty Acres,'' and it led the way to the supercenter retail stores 
that are now so much a part of the American consumer's daily 
experience. Today, Grand Rapids-based Meijer, Inc. has more than 200 
stores across the Midwest, and the company is a major part of the West 
Michigan economy.
  But Fred Meijer was not content to be just a pioneering entrepreneur. 
As the company grew, so did his lifelong drive to make the world around 
him a better place. He was an early and eager supporter of the civil 
rights movement. He was deeply involved in efforts by the Urban League 
to promote education and equal opportunity.
  One of his many lasting legacies is the Frederik Meijer Gardens & 
Sculpture Foundation. Established in 1993, the foundation embodies 
Fred's commitment to ensuring that art and beauty are available to 
everyone. The park and gardens that the foundation supports house his 
collection of sculpture, one of the finest collections anywhere in the 
world, and places it in surroundings of incredible natural beauty.
  Beyond the foundation, over the years he made generous gifts to 
support recreation and conservation efforts, schools and colleges and 
dozens of other institutions and charitable efforts across the State. 
There are few residents of our State who have not been touched in some 
way by his generosity. I have seen firsthand that generous and 
independent spirit, and I shall personally miss him, and personally 
feel the gap his passing has left in our State.
  Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife Lena, his partner in 
life and business and philanthropy; their sons Hank, Doug and Mark; 
their seven grandchildren; and the multitude of those who will miss 
Fred's immense presence. He will indeed be missed. What a man. What a 
life. What a force for good in the world.

                          ____________________