GEORGE PELLEGRIN /
FORMER ISLE PUBLISHER

Honolulu magazine’s
ex-owner trusted sons

His family business approach
became a case study at Harvard

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

George Pellegrin, in a "far-reaching and bold" move, gave both his sons ownership of the publishing company he founded in 1958, says Harvard Business School professor John Davis.

In 1980, David Pellegrin got the magazine section of Honolulu Publishing Co., and brother Jonathan received the Wisconsin operations of Johnson Hill Press, one of the country's largest publishers of agricultural trade magazines.

"It might have been seen as risky for him to have relinquished control and ownership so early, but it ended up serving both the health of the family relationships and the businesses themselves," said Davis, chairman of Harvard's Families in Business program, where Pellegrin's business career was used as a case study.

"A more common business story is founders who don't want to let go," said son David, who helped to acquire Honolulu magazine 26 years ago. "He recognized that probably both my brother and I might not have stayed in the business unless we really did have the opportunity to pursue it on our own terms."

George Pellegrin died Saturday at Queen's Medical Center. He was 85.

Born in Evansville, Ind., Pellegrin majored in agriculture at the University of Wisconsin and became a leader in growing and processing new varieties of small-grain certified seed in Illinois and California.

In Wisconsin, Pellegrin started up Farming magazine, a national farm business magazine, upon which he built Johnson Hill Press.

Pellegrin sold all his Hawaii holdings in 1984, including Worldwide Distributors and Glassware Decorators, and moved with wife, Dorothy, to Port St. Lucie, Fla. and later to the Carolinas. The two returned to Hawaii in 1998.

David Pellegrin sold Honolulu magazine and Island Business in 2001.

Pellegrin is also survived by wife Dorothy, sister Jane Rosemurgy, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

No services will be held. Memorial donations may be made to the Compassionate Friends, 707 Richards St., Suite 525, Honolulu 96813.