Industrialist Jack Irving dies at 78

John E. Irving, one of the heads of the Irving business empire, has died in Saint John after a brief illness. He was 78.

Known mainly as Jack, Irving was responsible for the family conglomerate's construction, engineering and steel fabrication companies. 

Born in 1932, he was the youngest son of K.C. Irving. His brothers are J.K. and Arthur Irving.

Jack Irving was known as a builder for his role in building most of the Irving infrastructure in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

Flags are flying at half-mast at the company's operations in Saint John.

J.K. Irving issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon marking his younger brother's death.

"Jack was a great brother and friend," J.K. Irving said.

"We enjoyed many happy years growing up together at home and in the business. He will be greatly missed."

Irving and his brothers were inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 2008. Jack Irving was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in October 2007.

He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick in Saint John in 2001.

His son, John Irving Jr., is involved in the family business, while his daughter, Anne, and son. Colin, are not in the business. He had six grandchildren.

It has been a tough week on the powerful Irving family. Kenneth Irving, Jack Irving's nephew, has taken an indefinite leave of absence from his position as chief executive officer of Fort Reliance, the parent company of Irving Oil, for "personal reasons."

Family's builder

Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna called Irving a gentleman with a "gentle soul."

"He would be considered to be quieter in some ways than his brothers," McKenna said.

"But I found beneath that quiet demeanor was a very steely resolve and a very passionate man."

New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham said Irving left his mark on the province through his role as the head of the construction companies.

"For more than 50 years, Jack Irving was truly the builder of the family," Graham said in a statement.

"As head of the construction and engineering companies, he was responsible for the design and construction of the facilities that have made the Irving Group the presence it is in our region, from service stations and stores to oil terminals and countless other facilities."

Graham said Irving may be known for his corporate roles in Saint John but he never forgot his roots in Kent County. The New Brunswick premier said he remembers seeing Irving visit his family members in southeastern New Brunswick when he was young.

"He has left behind a shining legacy of business leadership and commitment to his province and his community that will be missed by all who have known and benefited from his drive and his passion," Graham's statement said.

Irving got his start in business at an early age selling magazines door-to-door and operating the Jim, Art and Jack Chicken Farm with his brothers. In six years, their operation grew from a dozen egg-laying chickens to more than 1,500.

He joined his father and brothers in the growing group of Irving companies in 1952.

When K.C. Irving retired in 1972, Jack Irving was named executive vice-president of Irving Oil and went on to become a director of the many Irving companies.

Irving legacy

New Brunswick Energy Minister Jack Keir, a Saint John-area Liberal MLA, said Irving's loss will leave a large hole in the community.

"He's a kind, gentle businessman. He's going to be missed by our community," Keir said.

"lt is a sad day for our community when someone of the stature of Jack Irving dies."

Although Jack Irving is considered the least known of K.C. Irving's three sons, Keir said he was a gifted businessman.

"Although I agree he was more in the background than his two brothers, he was a pretty astute businessman," Keir said.

"The last conversation I had with him over dinner showed how much he paid attention to economic development."

Donald Savoie, an economic development expert at the University of Moncton, said Irving orchestrated a level of stability inside the companies he was responsible for.

He said Irving he may not have been as widely known as his brothers, but that doesn't mean he wielded any less influence.

"He was a model of civility. We could all learn a lesson from him with civility and about integrity," Savoie said.

"He was a great New Brunswicker, passionate about his province. New Brunswick is losing one of its favoured sons."

Symbolic shift

Francis McGuire, president and chief executive officer of Moncton-based Major Drilling Group International, said Irving was always very reflective in business meetings.

"In my experience, he would listen intently and virtually not say a word. He'd let his brothers speak," McGuire said.

"You know when someone is listening well. That was his style."

The business executive also said Irving's death is symbolic of how the family's group of companies is evolving.

"It's almost a point in history ... the Irving Group operated as a very, very integrated group 30, 40 years ago. And as business positions evolved and expanded, they became more independent. If you go back to those years, Jack was always the quiet one the reflective one," McGuire said.

"Jack would have been very much involved with the other brothers in developing strategy and working with government. In his older age. When the firm went into more separate groups, he played less of a role. It's almost the evolution of the company."

Kidnapping victim

Gordon Pitts, a Toronto-based business journalist who has written at length about the Irving family, said Jack Irving was less of a hard-driving businessman than his two older brothers as a result of a 1982 kidnapping incident.

"He had a brush with mortality some years ago, decades ago, when he was kidnapped, and set off a cross-city search in Saint John and was eventually recovered," Pitts said.

"He was left intact. But I think that was the moment when Jack got a lot of perspective about life and in many ways, he's been less the business leader than the other two."

Arts interest

Progressive Conservative Leader David Alward said Irving's influence in the province transcends simply business.

"He was a proud New Brunswicker and gave generously to heritage and arts initiatives. As a strong supporter of the arts in the Atlantic region, his contributions to this sector will indeed be missed," Alward said.

Irving's funeral will be held on Saturday at Trinity Anglican Church in Saint John.