Frederic M. Alper passed away on August 9 after a long illness. He was 79.
Fred rose to prominence as the president and later chairman of Morris Alper, Inc., one of the largest food brokerage companies in the country. As the third generation of his family to lead the business founded by his grandfather, Fred presided over a period of enormous growth in the company’s fortunes. He also served on the board of the National Food Brokers Association.
Before his tenure at Morris Alper, Fred worked in the supermarket business in Latin America. He earned an A.B. from Brown University, an M.A. from the University of Washington, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
After retiring from Morris Alper at age 55, Fred led an active life as a trustee at Brown, an active angel investor, and a professor of entrepreneurial studies at Babson College. During this period, Fred sat on more than 20 boards of directors and advisors, including Kettle Cuisine and King Arthur Flour. He was also a generous donor to multiple political and charitable causes, including reproductive rights, civil liberties, and medical research. Fred was a lover of classical music and enjoyed playing tennis.
Fred leaves behind two sons, Michael and Jeremy; two daughters-in-law, Rashmi Goel and Jody Feder; and his four grandchildren, Aaron, Avi, Evan, and Natalie. He is also survived by siblings Dan Alper, Noah Alper, and Judy Alper Smith, as well as his beloved wife Donna Mager and his step-daughter Julie Gaieski. His late wife, Peggy Tenenbaum Alper, passed away in 1999.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 18, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Avenue, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. A reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at www.dana-farber.org for its hematologic oncology program, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th floor, Brookline, MA 02445.
www.lawlerfuneralhome.com