May 8, 1946-January 28, 2023 La Habra, California Jim Matiasevich, co-founder and president of Fullerton, CA’s Veg-Land Sales Inc. died Jan. 28 due to complication from pneumonia.<br><br>He was 76.<br><br>Mr. Matiasevich was raised in Watsonville, CA, where he was born May 8, 1946, as the youngest of three boys. He was an All City fullback at Watsonville High School, played for two years at nearby Cabrillo Junior College and then moved on to the University of Montana, also to play football. He stayed in Montana only one year before moving back to Watsonville to begin his produce career in the frozen foods division of JJ Crosetti. After a couple of years, he moved into the sales department.<br><br>His son Jimmy Matiasevich said it was in the mid-1970s when an executive from Safeway Stores asked Mr. Matiasevich and his brother John if they would move to Southern California to start a consolidation warehouse business to handle Safeway’s orders. That was the beginning of Veg-Land Inc., which was founded in 1976 in La Habra, CA.<br><br>Mr. Matiasevich is survived by his wife, Dorothy; sons, Jimmy and Jeff; and grandchildren, Jimmy Jr. and Jewels. He is also survived by his brothers, John and Bob.<br><br>A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.<div></div><br>