Ag industry icon Rick Antle passes away

An icon in the agricultural industry has passed away.

Rick Lester Antle of the Tanimura and Antle Produce Company died over the weekend after a battle with cancer.

Antle passed away surrounded by those he loved on Saturday, April 14, 2018.

Antle was born in Salinas in 1956, and together with his father, started the company and kept the ag industry moving forward throughout the decades.

Antle and his father formed Tanimura & Antle with the Tanimura family in 1982.

Rick Antle’s latest achievements included the development of a housing project that provides homes for 800 farmworkers as well as spearheading the transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan which gives employees the chance to be part owners.

Rick Antle is survived by his wife Tonya Antle, his mom, Sue Antle, his sons Brian (Amanda) Antle, Jeff Antle, Anthony Pavich, daughter, Natalie (Eric) Drobny, and grandchildren, Cameron and Spencer Antle. He is also survived by his siblings and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life ceremony will be held at the Tanimura & Antle headquarters on Friday, April 27th at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests donations be made directly to the Rick & Tonya Antle Community Foundation Fund www.cfmco.org/AntleFund.