LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Carl W. Fribolin, astute
businessman, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is with feelings of deepest regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of Carl W. Fribolin, a preeminent citizen whose
distinguished public service and caring commitment will long serve as
standards to which others might aspire; and
WHEREAS, Carl W. Fribolin of Geneva, New York, died on Wednesday,
January 20th, 2016, at the age of 97; and
WHEREAS, Carl W. Fribolin will fondly be remembered as an advocate for
the region and an inspiring visionary; he possessed tremendous internal
determination and he thought carefully and astutely about the community,
its challenges and opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Born to a farming family in 1918, Carl W. Fribolin grew up in
Naples, New York, and graduated from Cornell University in 1940; he
taught agriculture for three years in the Southern Tier and then worked
as a district sales representative for Ralston-Purina in St. Louis,
Missouri; and
WHEREAS, In 1963, Carl W. Fribolin founded Seedway and ran the busi-
ness until he sold it to Agway in 1987; throughout the years, he bought
several different companies including Seem Seed Farms in Emmaus, Penn-
sylvania and Robson Quality Seeds, a company which sold flower and vege-
table seeds to gardeners; and
WHEREAS, When Carl W. Fribolin purchased Robson Quality Seeds, annual
sales stood at $250,000; by 1984, with the company refocused on farm
seeds, sales increased to $11 million a year, and the thriving business
employed 52 people; and
WHEREAS, A leader in every respect, Carl W. Fribolin was very involved
in the northeast seeds industry and held the position of President of
the New York State Seed Association as well as the New York State Seed
Cooperative, which was based in Ithaca, New York; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, Carl W. Fribolin was already in his 80's when he
decided to turn part of his farm into a winery; in 2003, he planted his
first grapes and three years later opened a tasting room; and
WHEREAS, Carl W. Fribolin distinguished himself in his profession and
by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
his community; and
WHEREAS, Devoted to the community in which he lived and worked, Carl
W. Fribolin held numerous leadership positions at various organizations
including Chair of the Finger Lakes Health Board of Directors, Trustee
of Keuka College, Executive Director and Member of the Smith Opera House
Board of Directors, Member of the Lyons National Bank Advisory Board,
and Trustee of Geneva Savings Bank, as well as President of the Finger
Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America; and
WHEREAS, One of Carl W. Fribolin's most lasting contributions to the
city of Geneva was the renovation of the Smith Opera House; he oversaw
every detail of that restoration until its completion, including the
fundraising and the structural and decorative aspects; and
WHEREAS, For his fierce determination, engaging personality and lead-
ership style, Carl W. Fribolin was the recipient of numerous awards and
accolades such as Rotary's Springstead Award for Community Service and
the Celebrate Smith Award by the Smith Opera House; and
WHEREAS, Even in his mid and late 90's, Carl W. Fribolin remained
active; he donated part of White Springs Farm to Hobart and William
Smith Colleges in 2014 and accepted an honorary degree from these educa-
tional institutions that spring; in addition, he built a new house, and
he spoke at a Town Board meeting as recently as last year; and

WHEREAS, Carl W. Fribolin's commitment to excellence, and his spirit
of humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including char-
itable and civic endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Outside of work and philanthropy, Carl W. Fribolin loved
horses and competitive horse driving and enjoyed collecting antiques;
and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by spouses Margaret Voorhies Fribolin and Fanny
Defendorf Fribolin, Carl W. Fribolin is survived by his two daughters,
Anne (Gordon) Fribolin Stagg and Patricia (Donald) Cunningham; his
companion, Elizabeth Mitchell, and her two sons, Gregory and David; and
five grandchildren, Shannon (Dennis), Gregory (Theresa), Paul
(Michelle), Leslie (Dean), and Michael; as well as seven great-grand-
children Nicole, Jacob, Julia, Ryan, Lindsey, Kaylyn, and Justin; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Carl W. Fribolin leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Carl W. Fribolin, astute businessman, distinguished
citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Carl W. Fribolin.