SACRAMENTO, CA ­  WPHA and its members share in the sadness with the entire Simplot family
and employees in mourning the death of company founder Mr. J.R. Simplot.
            Mr. John Richard “Jack” Simplot died Sunday following a bout of pneumonia at his home in Idaho. He was 99. Esther Simplot, his wife, was at his side at his passing.
            A farm boy who never attended high school, Mr. Simplot built a personal fortune recently estimated at $3.6 billion. He and the company he founded all but reinvented the humble potato, creating the first successful frozen french fries and partnering with McDonald’s to sell them worldwide. The private company he began became one of the largest agribusiness conglomerates in the world. His company is based in Boise.
            In Idaho, Mr. Simplot was a larger-than-life figure who donated millions to colleges, universities and other causes, and drove a Lincoln with “Mr. Spud” license plates.
            Mr. Simplot’s son, Scott, said his father’s life story also was a tale of a generation that revolutionized Idaho. “He was fortunate to be part of a huge transition taking Idaho from a raw state and converting it to the homeland we have today,” Scott Simplot said.
            Mr. Simplot is survived by his wife, Esther Becker Simplot, two sons – Don and Scott – one daughter, Gay Simplot, 18 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. His oldest son, Richard, died in 1993.
            Those wishing to send condolences to the family can do so by writing to them at jrcondolences@simplot.com. A memorial service will be held in his honor at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, at Qwest Arena in Boise.

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