This week’s Grave of the Week is Carl Pescosolido. Skip, as he was known, was an East Coast transplant who fell in love with Exeter. He was looking for business opportunities in citrus and happened upon the Central Valley. He had never been to the area before and said of it, “I was quite taken with the area.” He sold everything and moved his family to Exeter and founded the Sequoia Orange Company. Prior to that, he had not been a farmer.
Skip graduated from Harvard and was an economist. He taught, and worked at his father’s heating oil firm in Boston. He came to California to try to purchase service stations. When that failed, the trip to Exeter changed his life.
As a farmer, Skip took on Sunkist. He opposed the cooperative marketing system of citrus favored by Sunkist. He was sued by federal authorities for giving oranges away. He filed multiple suits against Sunkist and his research provided the basis for many other suits against Sunkist. He had a reputation as an independent grower, and he actively opposed federal marketing orders and shipping quotas.
In addition to farming, Skip was still very active with his former schools. He was a graduate of the Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, MA. He served as trustee and President of the Board. After his passing, the school dedicated a $4-million field house in his honor. The headmaster at the time said Skip’s passing was, “a tremendous loss” and hoped that his, “legacy of excellence, generosity and caring will continue to flourish.”
If you knew Skip, or know his family, please share your happy memories here. Thank you to Pamela J Pescosolido for sharing Skip’s story.
Comment if you know anyone who should be featured on Grave of the Week. Please include any information about the person’s life and where the grave is located.
Please continue to like, share, and follow the Exeter Cemetery District and thank you to Exeter Chamber of Commerce, Exeter Kiwanis, The Sun-Gazette Newspaper, Kiwanis Club Of Farmersville, Kiwanis of Woodlake for sharing