Top innovation officer and senior leader for manufacturer dies at 65

NEW PORT RICHEY — Richard “Rick” Caron, an executive with Pasco County-based foodservice equipment manufacturer Welbilt and its predecessor companies for at least 15 years, has died. He was 65.

Company officials say Caron, an executive vice president and the firm’s chief innovation officer, died Sept. 2 following a brief non-COVID-19 related illness. He was the firm’s head of innovation and technology since joining Welbilt’s predecessor company Enodis in 2005, according to a statement. “Caron was instrumental in the development and success of the (the company’s) Education and Technology Center,” according to his bio on the Welbilt website. An MIT grad, Caron holds several patents in the foodservice industry, including automated frying and rapid cooking systems.