James L. Moody Jr.

SCARBOROUGH – James L. Moody, Jr. “Jim”, 93, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

Born on Nov. 23, 1931, to James L. Moody, Sr., and Ethelyn Hoyt Moody, of Gorham, Jim had a lifelong love for business, charity, civic participation, sports, and family.

He is survived by Marjorie Moody, his wife of 25 years; his sister, Beverly McGraw of Glastonbury, Conn.; and three children, Jeff and his wife Theresa of Scarborough, Alison Perkins and her husband Ken of Gorham, and Eric and his wife Valéria of Sarasota, Fla. He leaves behind six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Jeff’s – Dr. Jennifer Moody (husband Jamie); Ryan Moody (wife Dr. Natasha Pakravan) parents to Juniper; Alison’s – Kyle Perkins; Corey Bailey (husband Alex) (parents to Xavier and Miles); and Eric’s – Vanessa Moody (husband Michael Repper), and Kevin Moody (wife Dr. Georgia Moody).

He was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Winship “Chip” Moody; and his first wife, Jean Pratt Moody, who passed away in 1999.

Jim was a proud Mainer, growing up in Gorham, raising his family in South Portland, then moving to Cape Elizabeth, and eventually splitting time between Maine and Florida as a retiree. He and Marjorie returned to Maine full time last November, moving into Piper Shores assisted living.

Jim’s love for education and sports was strong and helped shape his life philosophy of teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and fair play. Growing up, he was a true student athlete and graduated as valedictorian of Gorham High School. After high school, Jim followed his mother’s footsteps and went to Bates College where he again played multiple sports and graduated cum laude. His connection to Bates remained a cornerstone of his life, helping to shape his values and prepare him for a successful business career.

After Bates, he served in the army in counter-intelligence in post-war Germany. His connection to home remained strong, as he wrote dozens of letters to his parents while stationed there.

Upon returning to the states, he entered the Business Training Program in accounting with the General Electric Company, quickly progressing to GE’s Auditing Department. His career took a pivotal turn when he joined Hannaford Bros. Co. as assistant controller, working under the mentorship of Walter Whittier.

His strategic vision and leadership guided his progression through roles such as treasurer, vice president of corporate development, and executive vice president. In fact, he rose through the ranks so quickly that he became Chief Executive Officer while still in his early 40s. He served as CEO for 19 years and was named chairman of the board in 1984, retiring in 1997 after a truly impactful 38-year career.

Under Jim’s leadership, Hannaford grew 30X from a regional wholesaler into a $2.9-billion retail grocery leader operating across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York. His philosophy centered on hiring and developing top talent, securing prime store locations, leveraging competitive advantages, and maintaining superior store operations.

His other love was sports. Competitive by nature, he played baseball and basketball throughout high school and at Bates. He adored watching his children and grandchildren play their favorite sports and remained an avid tennis player and golfer, playing each three times a week until the age of 85. He was happy to be a member of the Portland Country Club for 50 years. Plus, he was always up for a game of cribbage.

These passions never abated throughout his life. He was a voracious reader, especially of biographies of historical figures, and he followed developments in the business world, with a focus on favorite companies like Idexx, until his very last days. Either a Red Sox game, the U.S. Open, or the PGA were always on the TV.

Jim’s influence extended well beyond Hannaford, as he was broadly recognized as a leader among the greater supermarket industry, serving as Director and Chairman of the Board of the industry’s biggest trade organization, the Food Marketing Institute. His business acumen was also recognized beyond the supermarket world as he served as director for several prominent companies, including UnumProvident, Staples Inc., IDEXX Laboratories, Sobeys in Canada, Pathmark, and Schnucks Supermarkets. His board service across these organizations underscored his reputation as a respected leader in the national and international business community.

Even upon retiring from Hannaford, he was still very actively involved in several corporate and not-for-profit boards, including Chair of the Maine Medical Center Board, Chair of the Bates College board for 13 years, and President of the Portland Museum of Art board to name a few. He gradually reduced his workload from two full briefcases to only one.

On the lighter side, Jim wouldn’t have been considered a “foodie.” Instead, he had his unique list of favorites such as chocolates (especially dark chocolate needhams from Len Libby), yankee pot roast, clam chowder, ice cream bars, and any apple pie that could come anywhere close to his mother’s. When in full working mode and limited by time, his go-to lunch was a fluffernutter sandwich.

He will be missed far and wide.

A visitation will be held on June 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Rd., South Portland. Services will be on June 20 at 10 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 301 Cottage Rd., South Portland, followed by a private burial across the street at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. A celebration of life at Portland Country Club, 11 Foreside Rd. in Falmouth, will be from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to

Bates College for the

James L. Moody, Sr. and Ethelyn Hoyt Moody

’29 Scholarship Fund at

bates.edu/give

or mail to:

Bates College

2 Andrews Rd.

Lewiston, ME, 04240

(Questions: gifts@bates.edu, 207-786-6248).