A Pioneering Presence at the Co-op

by Jon McGoran, for the Shuttle

October 3, 2025

Weavers Way has always felt in many ways like a family, but with 14,000 members and 367 employees, today it feels more like an extended family. Back in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, though, when the staff and membership were so much smaller and the place was so much more intimate (i.e., cramped), it felt even more like a real family. Connie Iadicicco was a big reason why.

I grew up two doors from the Iadiciccos, and our families had always been incredibly close. So for me and my brother (Hugh, who worked in the deli), Connie was like a second mother. 

I started working at Weavers Way in the early ‘80s, but I knew about the Co-op long before then. (I clearly remember when I was a kid thinking to myself, “What the f*** is a co-op?” It’s a memory that would come back to me often when I was leading orientation meetings for new members.) 

Connie started working there in 1976 and her husband, Bob, was one of the early board members. From my first day working at the Co-op at the ripe old age of 17, it was comforting to have Connie there. But I was shocked to learn so many other people viewed Connie that same way. In fact, I soon came to realize that among the staff, there were only two people who never really seemed to think of Connie as a second mother; their names were Jeff and Terry, and they were her actual kids. 

Connie always had warm, encouraging words, a “Hi, Sweetie,” and a soft pat on the cheek, even when you screwed up. Maybe especially when you screwed up. She rarely lost her temper — much more rarely than she was given reason to. 

She was fun, too. She could appreciate a good joke. Or a bad joke. Or sometimes even a really bad joke. Her Hi sweeties and pats on the cheek were great, but sometimes a “Oh, my God, Jon — you’re terrible,” while she walked away shaking her head and laughing really warmed my heart.

The Co-op was pretty successful in its way from early on. Much of that success was surely due to the hard work and dedication of the board, managers, staff, and the members (who at the time all had to work as part of their membership). But I think it is also true that in no small part the Co-op’s success was due to that family feeling and the sweet, welcoming person at the cash register who warmly greeted every friend and stranger. 

When Connie retired in 1996, I suspected the Co-op would never be the same. And it wasn’t. It was still great. It is still great. But it was never the same. 

That was the end of an era. And this is the end of another one. I’m so glad I was able to be a part of both.

Jon McGoran was the first editor of the Shuttle. He is the author of 11 novels, most of them thrillers, and has also written science fiction for young adults. More information is available at jonmcgoran.com.