MONTVALE, N.J.—Jean Villavecchia, president of Alfred J. Villavecchia Corp., 85, passed away on Oct. 8 after a short illness.

Villavecchia was the mother of Diane Villavecchia Meehan and Al Villavecchia, Jr., who now manage the Villavecchia Group, one of the country’s oldest buying groups.

Jean worked closely with Alfred over the years as they owned and operated their optical and jewelry business, A. Villavecchia & Sons, in Union City, N.J., and as they established and grew the Alfred J. Villavecchia Buying Group beginning in 1980. Jean had been president of the group since Alfred’s death in 2004. She was a volunteer at Englewood Hospital, The Gilda’s Club of Hackensack and the Republican Club of Fort Lee.

Diane Villavecchia Meehan and Al Villavecchia, with the help of loyal employee, Cathy Denkus, and grandson, Brian Villavecchia, “will continue to maintain the high quality and service that the ophthalmic industry has come to expect,” Diane told VM, adding, “Jean has been well known and loved by many of our members and suppliers who have worked and interacted with her over the years and she will certainly be missed.”

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, Md, 20814 or to New York Presbyterian Hospital Lung Transplant Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, N.Y. 10032, ATTN: Lucy Soto, MD.  ■