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 Claude Ferdinand Bourguignon, born in Montreal, Canada, on Aug. 3, 1936, passed away Sunday, April 29, 2012, following a stroke, and a long and courageous battle with dementia.
Educated in Canada where he became a successful accountant/comptroller/auditor, Claude arrived in the U.S. at the age of 25 where he shortly thereafter co-founded a cheese import/distribution company named ANCO (All Nations Cheese Organization). It started in a "garage" in Byram, Conn., to grow and become a multi-million dollar business located in Fairfield, N.J. As an astute and brilliant businessman, Claude was instrumental in leading the company in different areas by purchasing a cheddar plant in Merrill, Wis., back in the '70s, producing an innovative cheese called RONDELE (a French style spreadable cheese), which is still manufactured and sold throughout the U.S. and in Europe; as well as FETA cheese in Minnesota under the ATHENOS brand which, today, is the most well-known and highest volume brand of FETA cheese sold in the U.S.
As a pioneer in producing European-style cheese in the U.S., many multi-national dairy companies took Claude's lead and began investing in the U.S. and producing hundreds of unique cheeses with European influence, such as Brie, Camembert, Goat Cheese, Italian style cheese, etc., that American consumers enjoy today.
After years of success in the cheese business, Claude and his partners sold ANCO to Kraft Foods in February 1990.
Claude's second career came in the form of a finance company called Aqua Finance Inc., located in Wausau, that finances household water treatment systems and HVAC systems to consumers. Claude was the Chairman of the Board for many years and a member of several internal committees.
Beyond his direct involvement in ownership and management, Claude held several board positions including as a member of the board of Advantage International Foods Corp. located in New Jersey, and Cantare Foods located in San Diego.
Claude was also an avid and passionate golfer, fisherman and wild game hunter who traveled the world hunting trophy wild game on almost every continent. At one point, he built a museum in Hazelhurst, Wis., called "Journey into the Wild" to house the many trophies he collected over many years to share his experiences with the public.
Truly a Man's Man, a Bon Vivant, a warm friendly, funny and generous human being, Claude will be sorely missed by his family, his many, many friends, associates and admirers in the United States, Canada and Europe.
Claude is survived by his wife, Charlotte, of 46 years; and by his sister, Yolande Bourguignon-Charbonneau; and two nephews who live in Montreal.
Claude's ashes will be returned to Montreal to be buried with his parents.
A memorial, "Celebration of Life," will be at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 20, 2012, at the Jefferson Street Inn in Wausau.
In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Claude Bourguignon can be made for the research of dementia.
Published in the Wausau Daily Herald from May 9 to May 18, 2012
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