Joseph Khezrie, Founder of Jimmy Jazz, Dies

Jimmy Jazz founder Joseph Khezrie has died. He was 90 years old.

The retailer revealed his passing on Sunday via its Instagram account. “Our founder, Joseph Khezrie, was a deeply loyal, respectful and hard-working man. We aspire to continue his legacy and make Jimmy Jazz the best it can be. Rest in peace,” the company captioned the post on the social media platform.

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The tribute featured a short video revealing insights into the history of the company Khezrie founded. “We opened the first Jimmy Jazz store back in 1988, located on the corner of Delancey Street and Orchard Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan,” the text in the video read. “We aspire to continue this legacy and maintain our core values of loyalty, hard work, perseverance, integrity and respect.”

The retailer confirmed in an email to FN that Khezrie passed away on the morning of June 4, and offered a statement from his son, James Khezrie, the CEO of Jimmy Jazz.

“We regret to inform you of the passing of our founder and pillar, Joseph Khezrie. My father Joseph came to America in 1960 because of the freedom and opportunities afforded by the United States. His love for this country knew no bounds. In his early years, he saw an advertisement while commuting that stuck with him for life: ‘It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.’ Through hard work and perseverance, he managed to start E and J Lawrence, the parent company of Jimmy Jazz. He was deeply loyal and viewed every person as part of his family. He instilled in us the core values of loyalty, hard work, perseverance, integrity, and respect, to make this company a success. We aspire to continue his legacy and make Jimmy Jazz both the best it can be and propel it to greater success in the future,” the statement read.

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