Entrepreneur. A native of Texas, he was running an oilfield service company when he went bankrupt in the oil bust of the early 1980s. In 1985, he decided to start a new venture as founder and president of Zapp's Gourmet Potato Chip Company in Gramercy, Louisiana. His product line, which included "Zapp's Tiger Tators", "Natural Kettle-Fried Chips", "Jalapeno Chips, "Dirty Potato Chips", and "Cajun Crawtators" (the nation's first Cajun spicy potato chip), quickly became a favorite throughout the country. In the 1990s, Zappe's success was in national publications such as People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and he was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997. To date Zapp's Gourmet Potato Chips has chip-making facilities from coast to coast which produce 150,000 bags of chips per day and employees hundreds. He died in Houston, Texas while undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
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RONALD ZAPPE OBITUARY
Ronald Joe Zappe, 67, of Baton Rouge, died Tuesday, June 1, 2010, in Houston due to complications arising from treatment of cancer. Ron was born in Beaumont, Texas, on Feb. 15, 1943, to Verline and Lester Joseph Zappe. He grew up in Houston and attended Reagan High School. He studied industrial engineering at Texas A&M, Class of '65, where he quickly distinguished himself by being named Outstanding Freshman in 1961. He gained further notoriety among his Aggie peers when he was charged with cattle rustling for his part in the capture of the University of Texas mascot, Bevo, in 1963. Ron began his career with Ingersoll Rand but showed the first signs of his entrepreneurial spirit when he launched Flow-Quip, the first of many oil supply-related businesses. In 1985, in the midst of the oil crisis, he made what proved to be a brilliant move from crude oil to peanut oil when he founded Zapp's Potato Chips and settled in to his life's calling. He donated time and money (and LOTS of chips) to numerous charities. He was known for his generosity, his over-the-top personality and love of a good time. He is survived by the love of his life, Anne Grantham Zappe; daughter, Kristin Zappe Hopper and husband Tim, of Bloomfield, N.J.; son, Eric Campbell Zappe and wife Catherine, of Jacksonville, Fla.; three grandchildren, Matthew, Katie and Jack Hopper; and sister, Joan Zappe Brown and husband George, of League City, Texas. A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 205 N. Fourth St., Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m., with visitation starting at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to LSU Rural Life Museum at 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809-3424, or the charity of your choice. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Published by The Advocate from Jun. 3 to Jun. 4, 2010.
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RONALD ZAPPE OBITUARY
Ronald Joe Zappe, 67, of Baton Rouge, died Tuesday, June 1, 2010, in Houston due to complications arising from treatment of cancer. Ron was born in Beaumont, Texas, on Feb. 15, 1943, to Verline and Lester Joseph Zappe. He grew up in Houston and attended Reagan High School. He studied industrial engineering at Texas A&M, Class of '65, where he quickly distinguished himself by being named Outstanding Freshman in 1961. He gained further notoriety among his Aggie peers when he was charged with cattle rustling for his part in the capture of the University of Texas mascot, Bevo, in 1963. Ron began his career with Ingersoll Rand but showed the first signs of his entrepreneurial spirit when he launched Flow-Quip, the first of many oil supply-related businesses. In 1985, in the midst of the oil crisis, he made what proved to be a brilliant move from crude oil to peanut oil when he founded Zapp's Potato Chips and settled in to his life's calling. He donated time and money (and LOTS of chips) to numerous charities. He was known for his generosity, his over-the-top personality and love of a good time. He is survived by the love of his life, Anne Grantham Zappe; daughter, Kristin Zappe Hopper and husband Tim, of Bloomfield, N.J.; son, Eric Campbell Zappe and wife Catherine, of Jacksonville, Fla.; three grandchildren, Matthew, Katie and Jack Hopper; and sister, Joan Zappe Brown and husband George, of League City, Texas. A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 205 N. Fourth St., Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m., with visitation starting at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to LSU Rural Life Museum at 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809-3424, or the charity of your choice. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Published by The Advocate from Jun. 3 to Jun. 4, 2010.
Entrepreneur. A native of Texas, he was running an oilfield service company when he went bankrupt in the oil bust of the early 1980s. In 1985, he decided to start a new venture as founder and president of Zapp's Gourmet Potato Chip Company in Gramercy, Louisiana. His product line, which included "Zapp's Tiger Tators", "Natural Kettle-Fried Chips", "Jalapeno Chips, "Dirty Potato Chips", and "Cajun Crawtators" (the nation's first Cajun spicy potato chip), quickly became a favorite throughout the country. In the 1990s, Zappe's success was in national publications such as People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and he was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997. To date Zapp's Gourmet Potato Chips has chip-making facilities from coast to coast which produce 150,000 bags of chips per day and employees hundreds. He died in Houston, Texas while undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
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RONALD ZAPPE OBITUARY
Ronald Joe Zappe, 67, of Baton Rouge, died Tuesday, June 1, 2010, in Houston due to complications arising from treatment of cancer. Ron was born in Beaumont, Texas, on Feb. 15, 1943, to Verline and Lester Joseph Zappe. He grew up in Houston and attended Reagan High School. He studied industrial engineering at Texas A&M, Class of '65, where he quickly distinguished himself by being named Outstanding Freshman in 1961. He gained further notoriety among his Aggie peers when he was charged with cattle rustling for his part in the capture of the University of Texas mascot, Bevo, in 1963. Ron began his career with Ingersoll Rand but showed the first signs of his entrepreneurial spirit when he launched Flow-Quip, the first of many oil supply-related businesses. In 1985, in the midst of the oil crisis, he made what proved to be a brilliant move from crude oil to peanut oil when he founded Zapp's Potato Chips and settled in to his life's calling. He donated time and money (and LOTS of chips) to numerous charities. He was known for his generosity, his over-the-top personality and love of a good time. He is survived by the love of his life, Anne Grantham Zappe; daughter, Kristin Zappe Hopper and husband Tim, of Bloomfield, N.J.; son, Eric Campbell Zappe and wife Catherine, of Jacksonville, Fla.; three grandchildren, Matthew, Katie and Jack Hopper; and sister, Joan Zappe Brown and husband George, of League City, Texas. A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 205 N. Fourth St., Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m., with visitation starting at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to LSU Rural Life Museum at 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809-3424, or the charity of your choice. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Published by The Advocate from Jun. 3 to Jun. 4, 2010.
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RONALD ZAPPE OBITUARY
Ronald Joe Zappe, 67, of Baton Rouge, died Tuesday, June 1, 2010, in Houston due to complications arising from treatment of cancer. Ron was born in Beaumont, Texas, on Feb. 15, 1943, to Verline and Lester Joseph Zappe. He grew up in Houston and attended Reagan High School. He studied industrial engineering at Texas A&M, Class of '65, where he quickly distinguished himself by being named Outstanding Freshman in 1961. He gained further notoriety among his Aggie peers when he was charged with cattle rustling for his part in the capture of the University of Texas mascot, Bevo, in 1963. Ron began his career with Ingersoll Rand but showed the first signs of his entrepreneurial spirit when he launched Flow-Quip, the first of many oil supply-related businesses. In 1985, in the midst of the oil crisis, he made what proved to be a brilliant move from crude oil to peanut oil when he founded Zapp's Potato Chips and settled in to his life's calling. He donated time and money (and LOTS of chips) to numerous charities. He was known for his generosity, his over-the-top personality and love of a good time. He is survived by the love of his life, Anne Grantham Zappe; daughter, Kristin Zappe Hopper and husband Tim, of Bloomfield, N.J.; son, Eric Campbell Zappe and wife Catherine, of Jacksonville, Fla.; three grandchildren, Matthew, Katie and Jack Hopper; and sister, Joan Zappe Brown and husband George, of League City, Texas. A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 205 N. Fourth St., Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m., with visitation starting at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to LSU Rural Life Museum at 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809-3424, or the charity of your choice. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Published by The Advocate from Jun. 3 to Jun. 4, 2010.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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