gmhTODAY Spring 2022 | Page 54

Quiet Giants :

Glenn Goldsmith

A Giant of Industry

By Kimberly Ewertz Photos by Mike Sanchez and the Goldsmith Family

Glenn Goldsmith , founder of Goldsmith Seeds , was a true giant in his field , and equally successful in his personal life . Last July he and his wife Jane reached a milestone very few couples achieve , seventy years of marriage . Then in October Jane turned ninety . All four of the Goldsmith children , Richard , William , Joel , and Jim , attended her birthday celebration at their parents ’ home in Kauai , Hawaii .

For as much joy as the Goldsmith family experienced in 2021 , nothing compared to the great loss they suffered when Glenn passed away on December 17 , at the age of 93 .
“ He was caring and he was humble ,” Joel said .
“ He founded a worldwide company that was ranked as one of the best , and he had some industry changing ideas and products , yet he never bragged about it ,” Richard said .
His family weren ’ t the only ones to mourn his death . “ Those of us who reminisce about our years with Goldsmith Seeds remember most how Glenn treated us all with respect , and we embraced the values he instilled in the company ,” past employee of nearly thirty years , Josie Bravo said .
Goldsmith Seeds was established in 1962 , soon after Glenn and his family moved to Gilroy . Starting with a rented greenhouse on the Hirasaki ranch , Glenn grew his company into a worldwide business that employed over twenty-five hundred people , with locations in Gilroy , Guatemala , Kenya , and Holland .
Jim believes his father ’ s greatest attribute was his love for his work . “ He loved sharing his knowledge , inspiring others in the industry and elsewhere to follow their own passions ,” Jim said .
Glenn originally intended to focus on the development of new varieties of flowers , with a plan to license those varieties to other companies . “ He was just going to do the research stuff , that ’ s where his passion was ,” Joel said . He soon realized that for the hybrid flower business to succeed , he had to sell the seeds .
TOP : Glenn Goldsmith , world-renowned founder of Goldsmith Seeds , industry Icon and community champion with Rusty . ABOVE : Annual Spring trials brought growers and buyers together from across the world . TOP RIGHT : Glenn at work at Goldsmith Seeds on Hecker Pass Hwy . Public was always welcome to stroll the beautiful grounds and visit the coy pond . Jane and son Joel Goldsmith browse photos for gmhTODAY article in March . NEXT : Family photo at Glenn ' s 90th birthday celebration in Kauai , HI in 2017 .
54 SPRING 2022 gmhTODAY Magazine gmhtoday . com