North Providence shop owner, 95, still living his life to the fullest

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I (WPRI) — George Bozigian is 95 years young.

The beloved owner of H.K.B. Market in North Providence has been in business for more than seven decades.

And he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

Bozigian and his father built and opened H.K.B. Market in 1951.

Though it used to be a general store, Bozigian has changed his business model to adapt to the neighborhood over the years.

“I gave up groceries,” Bozigian said. “I’ve got a sign over there that says, ‘no food for sale.’”

Instead, HKB Market focuses solely on selling lottery tickets.

“We still get a few customers,” Bozigian said. “But I’ll tell you, they’re the best people you could meet.”

Bozigian’s answer was simple when asked why he continues to come to work every day.

“It’s worth my while,” he explained. “I come because they’re the best customers I’ve got. I don’t care if I never get another [customer].”

To Bozigian, his longtime customers are his friends.

“They’re good to me,” Bozigian continued. “There isn’t a thing they wouldn’t do for me and there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for them.”

Bozigian told 12 News it’s also boring just sitting at home. He loves socializing with his regulars, most of whom swing by at least once a week to buy their tickets.

“My social life is in this building,” he said, referring to H.K.B. Market. “I don’t go to the Foxy Lady to socialize. At 95, you stay away from there.”

Bozigian’s son said his father taught him everything he knows.

“My father instilled in me a love of life, a love of family and a solid work ethic,” Kirk Bozigian said.

H.K.B. Market is open seven days a week with Bozigian at the helm. When he’s not behind the counter, Bozigian usually sits outside and “watches the cars go by” on Smithfield Road.

“People wave to me and I wave to them,” he said. “If there was work to do here, I would do it. But at this age … I don’t work much anymore.”

Bozigian doesn’t plan on ever closing down H.K.B. Market.

“I’m going to do this until the man upstairs calls and says, ‘We need you. We’ve got problems up here,’” Bozigian said. “I’ve lived a good, clean life. I never went out messing around.”

“I was with one woman all my life and I’m proud to say it,” he continued. “We were married for 65 years. I raised two kids — they’re great kids — and they married good people.”

Bozigian’s wife Ann passed away more than a decade ago, which is part of the reason why he had to scale back H.K.B. Market’s offerings.

He spends most of his free time with his family, which includes his two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bozigian also has a sixth great-grandchild on the way.