James K. Irving
James Kenneth Irving | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 March 1928 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Died | 21 June 2024 (aged 96) Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | Owner and chairman of J.D. Irving; founder of Partners Assisting Local Schools (PALS) |
| Notable work | Leadership of J.D. Irving conglomerate; philanthropy in education and poverty alleviation |
James Kenneth Irving (March 20, 1928 – June 21, 2024) was a Canadian billionaire entrepreneur and the eldest son of the industrial magnate K.C. Irving. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, he was the owner and later chairman of J. D. Irving. At the time of his passing, his wealth was estimated to range from $5.5 billion to $7.2 billion.
Early life
Born on March 20, 1928, in Saint John, New Brunswick, James Kenneth Irving was the firstborn among three sons of K. C. Irving and Harriet Lila Irving (née Robb) from Kent County.[1] He received his education at Rothesay Netherwood School, a private institution located in nearby Rothesay.[2]
Career
Irving began his professional journey in forestry in 1957, contributing to the planting of more than one billion trees.[3] Following the death of K. C. Irving in 1992, the ownership of the family’s enterprises was apportioned among his sons James, Arthur, and Jack.[4]
James assumed leadership of the J. D. Irving conglomerate, which includes operations in logging, frozen foods, transportation, and retail sectors.[5] Until its sale in 2022 to Postmedia, he controlled the Brunswick News publishing company, which manages prominent New Brunswick newspapers such as the Telegraph-Journal, Times & Transcript, and The Daily Gleaner.[6] Subsequently, he held the position of chairman at J.D. Irving.[7]
In 2000, he established the Partners Assisting Local Schools (PALS) initiative aimed at enhancing education and alleviating poverty in underprivileged communities.[8] Four years later, he co-led a fundraising effort raising $25 million for the Université de Moncton.[9] At his death, Forbes assessed his net worth at approximately $5.5 billion,[4] while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index placed it at $7.2 billion.[10]
Personal life and death
James Irving was married to philanthropist Jean E. Irving for nearly seven decades until her passing in 2019. Together they had four children: Jim Jr., Robert, Mary Jean, and Judy.
He passed away in Saint John on June 21, 2024, aged 96. As the last surviving son of K. C. Irving, his death followed that of his younger brother Arthur by just one month. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred to him as "a symbol of Canadian entrepreneurship and philanthropy."
Awards
In 1989, Irving was honored with an honorary doctorate in business administration from the Université de Moncton. Later, in 2007, he and his two brothers were inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
He received the Order of New Brunswick in 2014, followed by the Order of Canada in 2015, commended as a "corporate leader who has promoted economic growth in both rural and urban areas of New Brunswick."
In 2016, Irving, alongside Shirley Dysart, was recognized as a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow for their contributions to establishing PALS. The following year, he was honored with the Honorary Leader Award at the Diversity Champion Awards organized by Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity through Education in Saint John.
- ↑ "About the Irvings". Acadia University. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ↑ Adams, James (March 4, 2006). "Historic N.B. mansion faces wrecker's ball". The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedGlobeandMail-obit - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedForbesProfile - ↑ "Un Irving beaucoup plus riche et un Irving un peu plus pauvre". L'Acadie Nouvelle. March 21, 2017.
- ↑ Ibrahim, Hadeel (February 18, 2022). "Irving-owned New Brunswick newspapers to be sold to Postmedia". CBC News.
- ↑ "First RCAF airmen to die in Second World War memorialized in N.B.". Times & Transcript. September 16, 2019.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDailyGleaner-1 - ↑ Foster, James (April 8, 2004). "UdeM launches 'excellence' fundraiser; James K. Irving, Denis Losier co-chairmen of campaign to raise $25 million". Times & Transcript.
- ↑ "James K. Irving, Canadian Forestry Billionaire, Dies at 96". Bloomberg News. June 21, 2024.