James (Jim) William Nygren

James (Jim) William Nygren passed away in Chandler, AZ on 31 March 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Denver, CO on 4 September 1946, Jim graduated from Machebeuf High School in 1964 and attended Regis College in Denver, where he received a B.A. in 1968. Later that summer, he married the love of his life, Lee Ann Haigler, and they remained married for 58 years. After serving in the U.S. Army between 1969 and 1972, including a tour in Vietnam, Jim returned to Denver where he and Lee began building a life together. He started as a bag boy at King Soopers supermarket and soon worked his way into a management position. In 1978 Jim and Lee moved to Mesa, Arizona when Jim was transferred to Fry’s Food and Drug.

In Arizona, Jim and Lee built a tight-knit family, which Jim loved above all else. He especially appreciated traveling with them, eating delicious foods, and drinking good bottles of wine. He was always attentive to the needs of others, constantly asking if anyone “needs anything?” Jim also served as a father figure to many of the children in the neighborhood. He had a fierce sense of loyalty to those around him.

This was also evident in his professional life. Jim worked for Fry’s and King Soopers, both part of the Kroger Company, his entire career. At Fry’s he held various titles including Director of Labor Relation, Director of Human Resources, and many others. In those roles he helped mentor countless employees, and his caring approach to management was made evident by the scores of former colleagues who came to visit as he underwent treatment for metastatic cancer.

In 2015, Jim was inducted into the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance Hall of Fame. The citation of accomplishments noted by the AFMA includes: heading the establishment of Fry’s customer loyalty program (VIP cards); serving as the merger coordinator between Fry’s, Smith’s and Smitty’s; creating Kids Korner Child Care Centers in several Fry’s locations; and negotiating numerous labor agreements between Fry’s and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the Teamsters, and the Bakery/Confectionary Unions.

Jim is survived by his wife Lee Nygren, a retired teacher with Mesa Public School; daughter, Megan E. Gilbert, a Nurse Practitioner at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Nursing Faculty at Arizona State University; Christopher James Nygren, Professor and Chair of the department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh. He is deeply beloved by his daughter-in-law, Chiara Montera and his son-in-law, Ryan Gilbert. He was immensely proud of his two grandchildren. Austin R. Gilbert joined the Marine Corps in 2025, and Austin received a promotion to Lance Corporal on April 1 st , 2026, the day after Papa’s passing. His granddaughter Avery Gilbert attends Perry High School, and her love and affection gave Papa great strength.

Jim was the oldest of five children, all born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He will be deeply missed by Mike (Carol) Nygren of Santa Clarita, California, Dave Nygren (Louis) of Santa Barbara, California, Nancy (Frank) Gustafson of Parker, Colorado, and Timothy (Ev) Nygren of Littleton, Colorado. He loved his many nieces and nephews and has beamed with pride as the family expanded with the arrival of their children.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church on Friday, May 8 th at 10am followed by a celebration of life at Gilbert Memorial Park , beginning at noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hospice of the Valley . Jim would be greatly honored if you would spare a thought or prayer for him every time you swipe your Fry’s VIP card.