Longtime Raritan Garden Center To Close After Owner Dies

RARITAN, NJ — The longtime Raritan Valley Agway Garden Center will be closing its doors for good after owner Jeffrey Krachun died.

The center at 77 Thomson St. in Raritan will be open for its last day on Friday, June 30.

Raritan resident Krachun died on May 2 at 63 years old.

"As a five-year-old helping his mother plant seeds, he always remembered his neighbor proclaiming 'this kids going to be a gardener someday.' This might have started his journey working at Agway Garden Center," according to his obituary with Bruce VanArsdale Funeral Home.

Working at the garden center was the only job Krachun knew for more than 43 years. He started in the warehouse and moved up through the rank until he became the sole proprietor in 2000.

"He couldn’t wait for winter to be over to get started on a vegetable garden and see which perennials would come first. He will be sadly missed by his Agway family, and all his lifelong friendships that truly made a difference in his life," according to the obituary.

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