It is with sadness we have to report that Tim Vargo, the legendary former chairman of Stryten Energy, has died
The battery industry veteran died on June 6, following what his family said was a courageous three-year battle with leiomyosarcoma. He had recently turned 75.
An obituary released by the Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery in Memphis looked back on Vargo’s life and professional career, which began as a store clerk for Nationwise Auto Parts in the US.
He married Alice Hawthorne Vargo in 1971 and the couple moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the day after their wedding. During three years in Fort Wayne, their sons Josh and Jake were born.
The family then returned to Ohio and settled in Columbus, where they welcomed their daughter Laura. Tim rose through the ranks at Nationwise’s corporate headquarters, ultimately serving as executive VP before he left.
In 1984, Vargo joined AutoShack, later known as AutoZone, and relocated his family to the Memphis area. He served as president and COO and was instrumental in formulating and executing the growth strategy that expanded the company from 300 stores to 3,250 stores and grew annual sales to over $5 billion. He then went on to serve as president and CEO of both TruckPro and later Kele.
In 2018, Tim moved to the Atlanta area to serve as president and CEO of Stryten Energy. At the time of his passing, he was serving as chairman of the board of directors, bringing to that role more than 40 years of leadership experience in stored energy solutions, automotive supply chains, and process improvement.
He met his wife Linda Mitchell in 2022 and they found their dream home along the shores of Lake Alatoona in Woodstock, Georgia.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Vargo will be remembered for his generous spirit. Though he did not have the opportunity to stay in college himself, he was a passionate believer in the power of education to lift people up.
In addition to supporting the education of his own children, he provided tuition assistance for nearly a dozen others to attend undergraduate and graduate programmes.
Vargo was also well known for his love of cars, particularly Porsches, and his passion for racing, whether behind the wheel or in the grandstands.
However, his greatest joy was sharing this passion with his three children, who grew up watching races at the track and on television and eventually joined him as fellow drivers, competing together in road racing events across the country.
Vargo also travelled extensively with his family.
After his sarcoma diagnosis, he directed significant support toward sarcoma research, hoping his contributions might help expand treatment options for those facing rare cancers.
Vargo is survived by his wife, Linda Mitchell, his children Josh Vargo, Jake and Christy Vargo and their children Jake Jr (Phoebe), John Walker, Gracie, and Cate; and Laura and Chris Boywid and their children Odin and Dexter; his stepchildren Chad Mitchell; Chelsea and Chris White and their children Colt and Clover.
