Sheetz announces death of former CEO

Stephen G. Sheetz, the former president, CEO, and chairman of the board of the family-owned, Altoona-based convenience store chain, died on Jan. 4 at the age of 77.

One of Pennsylvania’s business leaders responsible for the familiar red-canopied gas and convenience stores covering much of western and central Pennsylvania has died.

Stephen G. Sheetz, former president, CEO and chairman of the board of Sheetz Inc., died on Jan. 4 at the age of 77, according to an announcement from the family-owned, Altoona-based convenience store chain.

Sheetz died from respiratory complications at UPMC Altoona, where he had been receiving medical care since Dec. 28, according to reporting from the Altoona Mirror.

He had been treated for pneumonia for two weeks at the Cleveland Clinic and had returned home on Dec. 24 until he was admitted to UPMC Altoona on Dec. 28. He had also been dealing with a leukemia diagnosis since 2011, according to the Mirror.

Sheetz was born on Jan. 7, 1948, in Altoona and was 12 years old when he started working part-time for Sheetz Kwik Shopper, the convenience store company his brother Bob founded in 1952, Sheetz, Inc. said in its announcement.

After graduating from Altoona High School and Penn State University, Steve Sheetz was named supervisor and director of operations in 1969 for the company’s four locations.

Bob and Steve Sheetz grew the company to 100 store locations by 1983, and after Bob’s retirement, Steve served as president and CEO of Sheetz Inc. from 1984 to 1995. He was also the company’s chairman of the board from 1995 until 2013, when he became chairman of CLI Transport, Sheetz Inc.’s petroleum transportation company. Steve Sheetz officially retired as a Sheetz executive in 2020.

Currently, Sheetz, Inc. has around 27,000 employees working at over 800 convenience store locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

“Above all, uncle Steve was the center of our family,” said Travis Sheetz, current president and CEO of the company. “We are so deeply grateful for his leadership, vision and steadfast commitment to our employees, customers and communities,” the company’s announcement said.

“Steve’s guidance shaped nearly every aspect of our family business,” said Joe Sheetz, chairman of the board of directors of Sheetz Inc., in the company’s announcement.

“He was a mentor for every leader who has followed him and his vision, wisdom and entrepreneurial spirit will be missed deeply by everyone at Sheetz.”

Steve Sheetz was also committed to supporting the Altoona area and beyond through his financial support of business, community and educational causes.

He and his wife, Nancy, founded the Sheetz Fellows Program, which provides mentorship and financial support to Penn State Altoona undergraduate students with leadership potential, the company’s announcement said.

They also founded the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence in downtown Altoona, which offers programs to encourage entrepreneurship to Penn State Altoona students and to the region at large, according to its website.

Sheetz is survived by his wife, their two daughters and seven grandchildren.

He is also survived by brothers Jim, Bob, Charlie and Lou and sisters Nancy Boling and Marjorie Folcarelli; another brother, Joe, died in 2006, according to the Mirror.