Global Partners’ longtime board chairman Richard Slifka passed away last week at the age of 85, according to a company announcement.
Slifka was the son of Global Partners’ founder Abraham Slifka, who started the business in the 1930s, and the uncle of Global Partners’ President and CEO Eric Slifka. He is survived by his wife, three children and six grandchildren.
“Richard helped lay the foundation for what Global is today, working alongside my father with quiet strength and enduring values,” Eric Slifka said in the announcement. “He brought diligence, consistency, and a sense of purpose to everything he did, always putting people and community at the center of his work. He will be deeply missed.”
Upon joining his father’s company in 1963, Slifka and his late brother Fred transformed the business from a heating oil company to a notable wholesale fuel distributor and convenience retailer. Today, Global Partners’ portfolio includes nearly 1,700 owned, leased or supplied gasoline stations, including 300 directly operated convenience stores, primarily in the Northeast
Slifka held numerous leadership positions during his six decades with Global Partners, formerly known as Global Companies, including treasurer; director; president of Global Petroleum, a privately held affiliated company; and vice chairman. He had been chairman since 2014.
Slifka was also president of the Independent Fuel Terminal Operators Association and a past director of the New England Fuel Institute. He was involved with Global Partners’ charitable work, having sat on the board of directors of Boston-based homeless shelter St. Francis House and Boston Medical Center in addition to being a director of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
A spokesperson from Global Partners said they had no information on who Slifka’s replacement will be atop the company’s board of directors.
