Ralph Ketner

Ralph W. Ketner (September 20, 1920 – May 29, 2016) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was known for being the founder of Food Lion (founded as Food Town). He founded the grocery store chain in the 1950s. During his career, Ketner has given away 35% of his profit to charity.
Ketner was born in Rimertown, North Carolina. He grew up during the Great Depression. He studied at Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana. Ketner is married to Anne Blizzard. They have two children. In March 2016, Ketner was hospitalized and diagnosed with colon cancer. He died on May 29, 2016 in Salisbury, North Carolina from the disease at the age of 95.