Cumberland Farms Family Patriarch George Haseotes Dies at 94

Haseotes was a son of the founders who helped grow the convenience store chain into a regional powerhouse.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 9:38pm

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George Haseotes, a member of the family that founded and built the Cumberland Farms convenience store chain, has died at the age of 94 in Florida. Haseotes was one of eight children born to Greek immigrant founders Vasilios Spiros Haseotes and Aphrodite Bassis Haseotes, who started a dairy farm in Cumberland, Rhode Island in 1939 that eventually grew into the Cumby's brand known throughout New England.

Why it matters

The Haseotes family built Cumberland Farms from a small dairy farm into a regional convenience store giant, with nearly 600 locations across the Northeast. George Haseotes, while not serving as CEO, maintained an ownership stake in the business throughout his life and was involved in the company's expansion, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Exxon stations in the 1980s and 2000s that helped grow the chain.

The details

George Haseotes died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Palm Beach, Florida, surrounded by family. Along with his siblings, Haseotes helped design and operate one of the largest experimental dairy farms in the country in the 1970s. The family also purchased a major cranberry company in the 1970s before selling it in the 1980s to help finance Cumberland Farms' acquisition of Gulf Oil locations.

  • George Haseotes died on March 21, 2026.
  • Cumberland Farms was founded by Vasilios Spiros Haseotes and Aphrodite Bassis Haseotes in 1939.

The players

George Haseotes

A member of the family that founded Cumberland Farms and maintained an ownership stake in the business throughout his life.

Vasilios Spiros Haseotes

One of the Greek immigrant founders who established the Cumberland Farms dairy farm in 1939.

Aphrodite Bassis Haseotes

One of the Greek immigrant founders who established the Cumberland Farms dairy farm in 1939 with her husband Vasilios.

EG Group

The British firm that acquired Cumberland Farms in 2019, making it part of the company's 10-convenience store chain empire.

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What they’re saying

“He had a love of the financial markets and bringing people together to make deals, but farming was his main passion.”

— Family spokesman

The takeaway

The Haseotes family's transformation of a small dairy farm into the iconic Cumberland Farms convenience store chain is a testament to the enduring power of family-owned businesses and entrepreneurial vision, even as the company was eventually acquired by a larger firm.