Founder, father, friend. Stephen Sheetz left behind a legacy in the Altoona community, and members of the community are now taking time to reflect on the impact he made.
In 1952, Sheetz’s older brother purchased one of their father’s dairy stores and renamed it to Sheetz Kwik Shopper. This business grew over the following years, and it eventually spread throughout Blair County and surrounding regions. Sheetz became CEO in 1984, and his leadership saw Sheetz Inc. develop into what it is today.
Many students and members of the community work for Sheetz. One such student is senior Jamin Dong, who works as a local salesperson.
“I think Sheetz is an excellent place to work at,” Dong said. “The environment is nice and contrary to some beliefs it’s not too stressful. Besides the difficulty of having to be universal in the tasks you perform, it’s a good job that pays well.”
Sheetz was an Altoona Area High School graduate in 1965, and he attended Penn State Altoona. He later earned a degree in Business Management from Penn State University Park in 1969.
Penn State Altoona Chancellor and Dean Ron Darbeau discussed Sheetz’s legacy in a statement sent to staff and faculty.
“Steve’s impact on our campus is immeasurable,” Darbeau said. “Alongside his wife, Nancy, he transformed countless lives through the creation of the Sheetz Fellows Program, providing opportunity, mentorship and hope to generations of students. Their extraordinary commitment stands as a testament not only to their generosity, but to their belief in the power of education to change lives… Through him, students were fed, clothed, received mental and physical health services, scholarshipped, challenged, mentored and exposed to worlds and ways of life outside the United States.”
Even after his graduation, Sheetz contributed to several programs that worked to better the lives of those in Blair County.
“He quietly and in the background helped a lot of programs,” Foreman said. “The Sheetz Fellows was at Penn State Altoona, but here specifically, [he was a] huge supporter of Project Soar. Again, he believed in education. He believed that the kids shouldn’t have barriers to achieving their goals. He as well as his company will give support, as far as programming things like that and financially. He regularly sent us contributions. Contributions we didn’t even ask for would show up from Mr. Sheetz to help support the scholarships.”
After his passing, many of those who knew him believe that he changed our community for the better.
“When you look at Sheetz as a whole, we’re very grateful for not only Steve Sheetz, but the Sheetz Corporation, because as a whole their mantra has always been about giving back, and they especially like to give back to youth programming,” Foreman said.
“Steve was known for his humility, kindness and deep love for this community,” Darbeau said. “He believed in lifting others up, investing locally and leaving places better than he found them… We also mourn alongside the many students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members whose lives were touched by Steve’s generosity and leadership.”
