[Dixielandjazz] Charles Huggins Dies At 87

[Robert Ringwald]

Charles Huggins Dies At 87; Longtime Head Of See's Candies
Joining the company in 1951, he rose to president and chief executive — and 'chief
taster' — and guided the company's expansion to more than 200 stores.
By Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times
August 23, 2012
Before Charles N. Huggins began working at See's Candies in 1951 as a manager in
the company's packing department in San Francisco, his favorite candies were black
licorice and, thanks to his
World War II
service as a paratrooper,
Hershey's
chocolate.
But as Huggins' sweet tooth remained a constant during his rise up the ladder to
become the candy company's president and chief executive in 1972, his taste clearly
underwent a See's-influenced evolution.
And like a kid in a candy store, he had no trouble reciting his favorites in a 1998
San Diego Union-Tribune interview: "Butter Creams, Pecan Buds, Candied Ginger, Chocolate
Truffles, Chocolate Lollypops, Chocolate Nut Fudge, Victoria Toffee and Polar Bear
Paws."
Huggins, who retired as the longtime president and chief executive of See's Candies
in 2006 after 55 years with the company, died
Sunday at his home in Larkspur, Calif., after suffering a stroke a week earlier,
said his wife, Donna Ewald-Huggins. He was 87.
See's Candies was founded in Los Angeles in 1921 by Canadian immigrants Charles See,
his wife, Florence, and his
mother, Mary, whose original candy recipes were the foundation of their confectionary
business and whose grandmotherly visage continues to grace See's trademark black-and-white
candy boxes.
The company, which maintains its longtime factory on South La Cienega Boulevard in
Los Angeles, is headquartered in South San Francisco.
Huggins was instrumental in the See family's 1972 sale of the company to
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
, whose chairman,
Warren Buffett
, appointed Huggins president and chief executive. "It took me about 15 seconds to
realize Chuck was the person for the job," Buffett reportedly said at the time.
During Huggins' tenure in those positions, he led the company's expansion to more
than 200 stores throughout the western United States.
As president, Huggins tasted all of the new candies that were introduced each year
and had the final say.
See's "chief taster," as he called himself, also presided over the "retirement" of
certain candies. And he occasionally took the heat for doing so.
In the mid-1980s when he asked store managers which candies weren't selling, Maple
Walnut Cream earned the most votes and then disappeared from store shelves.
But it quickly became clear a mistake had been made.
"I got two-page letters with violins telling me how Maple Walnut Creams were important
to people's lives," Huggins told the
Orange County Register
in 1996. He apologized to the letter writers but was not swayed — until more letters
and even threatening phone calls led the company to give in to customer demand.
After Huggins wrote letters to the complaining customers saying the company had made
a mistake — and included gift certificates — more mail came in from customers, this
time offering their thanks for bringing back Maple Walnut Creams.
Said Huggins: "It's easy to make customers for life."
For those who worked at See's, the gregarious Huggins was known as a people person
who remembered employees' names and details about their families.
"He was a charming man and extremely thoughtful," Margaret Moos Pick, author of the
2005 book "See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story," told The Times on Wednesday.
"He was one of those people who would approach everyone with the same respect and
demeanor of care," said Pick. "Walking through See's Candies stores with him or through
a factory with him, people just lit up when he came in because that level of personal
touch and personal care was there. And it was absolutely genuine."
Huggins also was known for his corporate and personal philanthropy, including donating
to the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County, Carson High School, the San Francisco
Traditional Jazz Foundation, the San Francisco Jazz Festival and the restoration
of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
Charles Newel Huggins was born March 2, 1925, to American parents in Vancouver, British
Columbia, and grew up in Portland, Ore.
After serving with the 17th Airborne Division's 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
in Europe during World War II, he majored in English literature at Kenyon College
in Gambier, Ohio.
Huggins' wife of 48 years, Mime, died in 1995.
Besides Donna, his wife of 12 years, he is survived by his sons, Peter and Charles
"Chip"; his daughters, Anne Huggins Walton and Shelley Huggins Dutton; his sister,
Ruth Slack; and nine grandchildren.
Even in retirement, Huggins never lost his sweet tooth.
"I always had to keep candy in the house for him," his wife said Wednesday. "We have
a See's store right near our house, and they were always slipping him samples of
new candies."
dennis.mclellan at latimes.com
Copyright © 2012,
Los Angeles Times
-30

These comments from Nick Dragos, longtime host of Traditional Jazz show on KXJZ FM Sacramento.  

Jazz Fans,
It was announced Thursday that Charles Huggins had passed away..........that name
may not hit you
between the eyes, but Trad Jazz fans should take a moment to thank him.
As you can read in the obituary below:
"Huggins also was known for his corporate and personal philanthropy, including donating
to the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County, Carson High School,
The San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation, The San Francisco Jazz Festival
and the restoration of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco."
He was also personally responsible from See's national sponsorship of "Riverwalk:
Live From The Landing"
and other jazz radio broadcasts, including at least two of the 12-hour marathons
I used to co-host on KXJZ
live from The Sacramento Jazz Jubilee.
Nick Dragos


-Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
Amateur (ham) Radio Operator K6YBV
916/ 806-9551

The crime of taxation is not in the taking of it. It's in the way it's spent.
--Will Rogers March 20, 1932