Notable Passings 0324

James Hearn,

pizza magnate

James Hearn, the founder and CEO of Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs, died from a sudden illness Tuesday in Palm Harbor, Fla. He was 71.

Hungry Howie's, which has a San Antonio location and is the nation's 11th-largest pizza company, grew from a small hamburger joint that Hearn bought in 1973 in a Detroit suburb. After moving to Florida, the chain grew to more than 550 locations nationwide. In the mid-1980s, it introduced flavored pizza crust, an innovation that Hungry Howie's is still known for.

Terry Morrow, a longtime Hungry Howie's franchise owner in Lakeland, Fla., said Hearn “would just show up. It could be 10:30 on a Tuesday night, and he would come in and begin to help and talk. If he stayed till close, he'd help mop my floors.” He was also known to deliver pizzas.

Associated Press