Chico icon passes

Steve Nettleton—the businessman, philanthropist and local sports team owner for whom Chico State’s baseball stadium is named—died last Friday (Jan. 11) from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 80.

A native Iowan, Nettleton (pictured) owned a chain of Food 4 Less grocery stores and invested in both incarnations of the Chico Heat baseball team. He served on the board of Enloe Medical Center, where the maternity ward is named to recognize him and his widow, Kathy. The Nettletons also endowed the Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley, which named their Chico gym in his honor. Chico State awarded him an honorary doctorate for his community service.

As of the CN&R’s deadline, there were no plans for a public memorial. He will be put to rest in San Diego, where he lived before coming to Chico.