Remembering Donald Sobey, a business titan and stalwart supporter of Dal and higher education – Dal News

Donald Sobey (LLD’89), C.M., an influential business enterprise chief, celebrated philanthropist and unwavering supporter of Dalhousie for much more than three a long time, died Wednesday (March 24). He was 86.

Campus flags have been decreased in respect.

“I’m deeply saddened by Donald Sobey’s passing,” explained The Honourable Scott Brison, Dalhousie’s chancellor. “His wisdom, kindness and generosity will be sorely skipped.”

From Stellarton, N.S., Sobey was properly recognised for his modesty and individuals-centred management — qualities that assisted him stand out in the planet of Canadian company titans.

A graduate of Queen’s University in 1957, Sobey considered deeply in the transformational ability of schooling — a determination that hardly ever wavered all over his everyday living. He established scholarships at multiple write-up-secondary establishments, hoping some would reach young individuals who would not usually have experienced the opportunity to continue their training.

Management with a legacy

The son of Frank H. Sobey, founder of the grocery keep chain Sobeys, the more youthful Sobey was president of Empire Company Ltd., the chain’s parent organization, from 1969 until eventually he was appointed chair in 1985. In the course of that time, he performed a essential function in expanding the regional supermarket into a national chain. He turned chair emeritus in 2004. His company and charitable board roles involved serving as chairman of the National Gallery of Canada and Maritime Tel & Tel, and as director of the Entire world Wildlife Fund.

At Dalhousie, Sobey served on the Board of Governors from 1997–2001, chaired the Campaign for Dalhousie in the 1980s and was honorary chair from 2009–2012 of the Daring Ambitions Marketing campaign Leadership Council (Atlantic Region). His extraordinary generosity to Dalhousie incorporated economical support for the Marketing campaign for Dalhousie, the Laptop Science Developing Fund (1990s) and the Dalhousie Artwork Gallery. Lately, Sobey contributed cash crucial to development of the Restorative Lab in the School of Legislation.

“The legacy Donald leaves at Dalhousie will have a profound effect on our campus, analysis, schools and learners for years — even generations — to occur,” Dal President Deep Saini said in a memo to Dalhousie’s neighborhood.

Supporting sciences and the arts

In 2011, the Sobey Fund for Oceans at Dalhousie — a partnership among the Donald R. Sobey Family Foundation, Dalhousie’s Marine Affairs Application (MAP) and Globe Wildlife Fund Canada — was struck. It “truly reflected Mr. Sobey’s dedication to preserving our oceans for foreseeable future generations,” claimed Professor Emerita Lucia Fanning, who was MAP director at the time.

“[Donald Sobey’s] generosity has presented scholarships for a technology of graduate students (20 to date) and will keep on to do so in perpetuity to what he [Sobey] termed ‘tomorrow’s leaders,’ ” reported Fanning. “With his generous assist, progressive tips have appear to fruition above the past 10 years, thoughts he was convinced have been wanted to rebuild healthful and sustainable marine ecosystems for all.”

Sobey was also a passionate collector and promoter of Canadian art together with his son, Rob Sobey. Donald Sobey chaired the Sobey Artwork Basis which, in 2002, made the Sobey Artwork Award, regarded as to be one particular of Canada’s most prestigious award for emerging artists.

He obtained a lot of awards in his life time. Sobey grew to become a Member of the Purchase of Canada in 2013 for his philanthropy and entrepreneurism. He also gained the Queen’s Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) and was inducted into the Canadian Business enterprise Corridor of Fame with his brother, David Sobey, in 2007. Donald and David Sobey acknowledged the Retail Council of Canada’s Canadian Grocery Sector Grand Prix Life time Achievement Award in 2019 on behalf of their relatives.

‘A superb friend’

Brison is grateful he and Sobey experienced the opportunity to function with each other in the pursuits of their group and society by way of Dalhousie. Brison particularly notes Donald and David Sobey’s generation of the Dalhousie Health-related Research Foundation’s Irene MacDonald Sobey Endowed Chair in Curative Ways to Alzheimer’s Illness as an case in point of Donald’s determination to enhancing the life of other individuals.

“I have heat reminiscences of Don as a stellar travel companion,” explained Brison, remarking that Sobey’s dry feeling of humour helped enliven trips they took alongside one another to signify the Planet Economic Forum and Trilateral Commission of North America. “He was a superb good friend.”

Sobey leaves powering his spouse, Beth, three small children and 5 grandchildren. Because of to Covid-19, private expert services are by invitation only. A celebration of everyday living will stick to in the future.