The Loss of an Arizona Legend

Resolutions is a Phoenix based company, we have been lucky enough to have been in business since 1995.  For a solid 10 years of our existence the Bashas’ Family of Stores was a client.  Yesterday Eddie Basha Jr. died at the age of 75 years.  Eddie is something of a legend in the state of Arizona, one of the state’s most recognized CEOs, politician, advocate for education and community supporter.  Bashas’ is one of the largest privately owned employers in the state, Eddie called each employee a member, as though they are a member of his family.  I serviced the Bashas’ account for a few years, in that time I was lucky enough to have met him on a couple occasions.  He was always smiling, outgoing and treated every person like they were a member of his family.  The business and his members meant everything to him.

When Bashas’ filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in 2010 Eddie received offers from larger grocery chains to buy his business, pay off his creditors and walk away a rich man, but that was never an option he was willing to accept.  His members meant too much to him for them to become employees of someone else.  Instead Eddie worked his way through bankruptcy and emerged a leaner, stronger Bashas’.  Resolutions lost Bashas’ as a client that year, but we knew that it was nothing personal, rather Eddie’s belief that he needed to focus his company on its core business of providing quality groceries to Arizona communities.

Eddie truly cared about the community as gave back as much as any organization in Phoenix.  In 2007 Bashas’ celebrated it 75th Anniversary, a monumental event that we were lucky enough to participate in through the production of a 75th Anniversary Television program that aired of local Phoenix television.  That program highlighted the Basha Family’s commitment to their members, the communities in Arizona and Eddie’s love for what his family built.

I am sure today is a tough one for Bashas’, they lost a great leader, family member and friend.  On behalf of everyone at Resolutions we send our condolences.