John Hitchings celebrates milestone birthday; requests donations for rescued animals

On Saturday, Jan. 25, dozens of guests gathered at the VFW Post in Owego to celebrate one of Owego’s finest; John Hitchings, owner of John’s Fine Foods, a store he has owned and been affiliated with since 1963. No surprise that many from the community showed up last Saturday to wish John a Happy 75th Birthday, as he is the friendly face that consistently greets guests at his local store on North Avenue.

Small businesses are the fabric of our community, and John’s Fine Foods, along with the Community Shop and others, have worked throughout the years to help customers feel right at home; they offer a friendly face not found at larger big-box stores.

But last Saturday, it was John’s turn to shine as he offered guests at his party his favorite foods, to include bologna sandwiches on plain white bread and a pot of tomato soup. Interestingly enough, many of the guests chuckled at the food choices, and then reminisced as they ate their sandwich and soup.

John also let his love for animals shine on his birthday, requesting pet food for a local rescue, which was donated to Happy Tails, versus a cover charge to this heartwarming event. Even John’s daughter, Carie Sciabica, drove from Rochester to attend. His wife Bev, who can be found by his side in the daily operations of their local grocery store, greeted guests as they arrived.

Not only is John an admired business owner, he is also involved as a volunteer in the community as well. A 50-plus year member of the Owego Fire Department, he is Captain of the Owego Fire Police. From emergency calls to helping during countless events, to include Owego’s Strawberry Festival, he keeps active in the community. John is also a well-known face at the annual 9/11 ceremony, where he can be seen tolling the bell. 

And the clock is ticking. John joked a bit about the coroner, Robert Williams, arriving for last Saturday’s birthday party. 

“You have to wonder when you see the coroner arrive,” he chuckled.

Currently, John has his store up for sale, and has set his sights on retirement. He reflected in an earlier article that his business changed after the Flood of 2011; and then again in October of 2018 when he suffered a heart attack. Today, however, he feels good; but he remains set on retiring.

As for volunteering, John won’t be hanging that hat up; at least not any time soon. John’s Fine Foods opens daily at 8 a.m., so be sure to stop in and wish John a Happy Birthday!