Jim & Juili Trusiani, Early Last Week at Paul’s Food Center on Congress Street.

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,430)

“Wonderful things are happening here,” said Jim Trusiani, 55, son of the late Paul who died earlier this month.  “Keep coming in to see what they are,” he said, cheerful despite a heart that is still heavily burdened with the loss of his father on Saturday, September 5, 2015, Paul.

“We basically went from his funeral (September 9, 2015) to this,” said Jim.  He was referring to the fact that he inherited the business from his late father and had to begin managing it immediately. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’ll catch up to us,” he said referring to himself and his wife Juli at his side.  The couple raised three daughters of their own, with Jim pointing to his thinning hair.  “I pulled a lot of it out over those years,” he says kidding.  Jim and Juili live near Portsmouth, NH and commute every day to Portland,  but plan to relocate to Portland in the future.

“Dad was a great guy. He was humble and hard-working.  He was extremely smart and probably could have down a lot of other things in his life. Bu he loved working in the food industry,” said Jim. At one time, Paul owned seven grocery stores in Maine.  They were located on Sebago Lake, Biddeford, Saco, Brunswick as well as three stores in Portland. But on Christmas Eve of 1982, Paul was in a serious car accident.  He broke his hip and suffered other long-term injuries. Following that, he drastically down sized his stores because of the limitations on his health that accident caused.  “I’ve told many people that had that accident not occurred, he’d still be alive today.” said Jim who was with his father in the accident.

Jim worked for his father at his grocery stores off and on through the years.  He has a business management degree from Bentley College.  For the past twenty-five years he has worked in finance and management for a building material distributor.  He left that position to take over at the helm of Paul’s Food Center –  a true landmark among landmarks at the center of the arts district in downtown Portland.

A position for which this couple is well-suited to carry on –  in the large footprint left by his beloved  father – Paul.

Paul’s Food Center, Congress Street,  Now Owned by Paul’s Son, Jim Truisani and His Wife Juli.