RIP: Michael Proulx 1948-2015

Michael Proulx, former president and COO of Bashas' Family of Stores, died Jan. 6 at his home in Sedona, Ariz. He was 66.

Born in Stillwater, Minn., in 1948, Proulx and his family moved to Arizona in 1961. Five years later, he was hired as a bag boy at Bashas', embarking on a 42-year career with the hometown grocery chain that included moving to Sedona to open a new store, and eventually becoming president and COO. Following his tenure at Bashas', Proulx moved to Los Angeles to become a professor of food industry management at the University of Southern California, a post he held until 2013.

An avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman, Proulx's survivors include his wife, Germaine, his high school sweetheart whom he married in 1969; daughter Jennifer; son Michael; two grandchildren; and six siblings.

A celebration of Proulx's life is planned for the morning of Jan. 10 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Sedona, followed by Mass and a reception. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the City of Hope and cancer research.