Harold W. Slawsby It is with great sadness we share news of the passing of Harold Slawsby on Saturday, July 5, 2025, after a brief illness. He was 87.
A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Harold was born in Mattapan to Benjamin and Celia (Beiman) Slawsby on July 25, 1937 and later moved to Newton with his father, brothers Stanley, Jeffrey, Denis and stepmother, Ethel – graduating from Newton High School in 1955. He went on to earn a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Michigan in 1959, and a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School, in 1961.
Harold quickly found his calling in the supermarket industry. He joined his father’s company and rose to become president of Capitol Supermarkets before an invitation from his business-mentor Leo Kahn, the co-founder of Staples, to join Purity Supreme in its Heartland Foods division. In 1982 he and his brother Stanley revived Capitol, growing it to two locations and adding a Save-A-Lot supermarket.
Harold later opened two additional Save-A-Lots with his sons, Todd and Jonathan. In 2020 the family joined Wakefern Food Corp. and converted their three Save-A-Lot stores into Price Rite Marketplace stores. The family now operates five Price Rites.
During his life, Harold Slawsby cared about making nutritious food accessible to all communities. In addition to opening stores in socio-economically diverse areas, Harold served on the Massachusetts Grocery Access Task Force, a group that sought to expand access to healthy foods for all families.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Harriet Ann (Harrington); sons Todd (Amelia) and Jonathan (Lisa); his beloved grandchildren, Liam and Lyla; his sister-in-law Judy and brother Denis. He is predeceased by his brothers Stanley and Jeffery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Harold’s name to the Jimmy Fund (www.jimmyfund.org) or Combined Jewish Philanthropies (www.cjp.org).
3 Condolences for Harold Walter Slawsby
Condolences(3)
Jeffrey Magnet says
July 9, 2025 at 7:43 pmWhat an impressive resume. You lived a good life. May you RIP.
Don Savage says
July 10, 2025 at 11:03 pmDear Slawsby Family, I knew Harold for a 10 year plus period of time via various business connections including Capitol Super Market, Sav-a-lot and other ventures. He was always very kind to me and I learned a ton from him. I loved the way he approached & told a story, his sense of humor, his business insights, the way he approached a challenge or problem. I was very fond of him. I’m sorry for your loss. He impacted a lot of people in such positive ways, like me, that you maybe unaware of. He touched many. In time, his funny stories will push their way in to your memories in the vary best way. Warm regards, Don Savage
Carol-Lynne Connolly says
December 9, 2025 at 12:08 pmDear Slawsby Family, I am so sorry of hearing about Harold’s passing. He was a wonderful man and very knowledgeable of the supermarket industry. I met Mr. Slawsby over twenty-five years ago when I was at Sovereign Bank and continued our business relationship at HarborOne. He was most kind and generous during the Bank’s annual Harvest for Hunger campaign that I was involved in.
Carol-Lynne Connolly