MICHAEL FINLEY LAWRENCE BLAIR

1945 - 2024

1945 – 2024 A prince of a man died suddenly at home on October 16, 2024, in Collingwood, Ontario. He was born in Cornwall, Ontario, on December 6, 1945, and grew up a 'military brat,' moving whenever and wherever posted. In a life of notable achievement, Mike was proudest of his family. He maintained strong, lively connections with his children, James (Christine), John (Tiana), Mike Jr., Jeff, Grace; and his grandchildren, Lily, Taylor, Nathan, Andrew, Jake and Alexander. He was sadly predeceased by his daughter, Katrina. He is survived by his younger sister, Peggy. Mike's experiences over the years would fill numerous lifetimes. He was a magnet for unbelievable, often hilarious situations. From a featherweight boxing champ at Royal Military College, he became a 101 Voodoo pilot in the RCAF; from a McKinsey consultant, he became a VP at Canadian General Electric. From CGE he would leave to create The Enfield Corporation, growing the business from one factory to more than one hundred, with assets over one billion in just 5 years before losing it in a highly publicized hostile takeover after which he was thrown out. He was no stranger to the front pages of the financial newspapers at the time. Even mocking cartoons of his exploits were published; these he framed and proudly hung on the walls of his homes. Down but never out, Mike would bounce back to acquire and lead the Algonquin Mercantile Corporation, rightsizing the business and converting a small group of no-name drugstores into what is today the modern Rexall chain. He would finish his career in the automotive sector as CEO of Automodular Corporation until retirement when he simply expanded his reading, researching, investing and writing. The depth, breadth and currency of his knowledge was breathtaking. He took his wisdom beyond book-learning, applying it across diverse specialties to create novel-yet-practical solutions for serious issues. And he wrote about them, all of them. He was never afraid to take an unpopular but principled position - no doubt he relished it at times - standing alone, uncaring about image. He had integrity, was tolerant and forgave almost everything except intentional cruelty or dishonesty. He stood up always for the underdog; he knew what it was to be one. He appreciated sound, logical discussion and remembered, in detail, every joke that came his way. His was a giant, generous heart; without fanfare, he shared himself, his time, expertise and advice whenever requested. Without exception, Mike's family and friends, even many of his Substack readers whom he'd never met nor spoken with, consider themselves blessed to have shared in his life. Family will gather in the Moose Creek Cemetery later to bury his ashes, and a celebration of Mike's life is planned for late spring or early summer next year in Toronto. For details, please contact John Blair at john@jb.ca.