Hall, New York, USA
Januray 26, 2016

SEEDWAY founder, Carl W. Fribolin, age 97 died on January 20th, 2016 at his home in Geneva, NY.

Carl became a managing partner of Robson Quality Seeds in Hall, New York in 1963. He later acquired the business and changed the name to SEEDWAY which he owned and managed until 1987 when he sold the business to Agway Inc. SEEDWAY, LLC has become a major distributor of farm, turf and vegetable seed in the eastern United States.

Carl was a leader in the northeastern seed industry serving as president of the New York Seed Association and the New York Seed Improvement Cooperative in Ithaca, NY. He also served as president of the Northeastern States Seed Development Corporation.

Upon his retirement from the seed industry, Mr. Fribolin devoted himself to ensuring the viability of agriculture open space by establishing a large vineyard and wine making operation on his farm which he eventually sold but continued to own and manage the retail outlet, White Springs Winery until his death.

Carl was noted for his leadership in the areas of healthcare serving as Board Chair of Geneva General Hospital and of higher education serving as Vice Chair of Keuka College Board as well as chairing numerous committees and fund raising activities for the college. He was awarded Honorary Degrees by both Keuka College and Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Carl is survived by his daughters Anne Fribolin Stagg and Patricia Cunningham, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as his companion Elizabeth Mitchell.

A celebration of Carl’s life will be held at 1:00pm February 20th at the historic Smith Opera House (whose restoration he supervised over a period of five years) Seneca Street, Geneva, New York.

The family requests Memorial Contributions be made to the Fribolin Lecture Series at Keuka College, PO Box 98, Keuka Park, New York 14478 or Finger Lakes Health Foundation, 196 North Street, Geneva, New York 14456.

Headquartered in Hall, NY, SEEDWAY, LLC operates nine locations in five states from Vermont to Florida. A full-line seed company, marketing farm and turf seed in fourteen Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and vegetable seed from the US Rocky Mountains to the east coast and the southern provinces of Canada, SEEDWAY, LLC is a subsidiary 
of GROWMARK, Inc., Bloomington, IL.

Website: http://www.seedway.com

Published: January 26, 2016