JAMES F. KAY

JAMES F. KAY James F. Kay passed away in his Florida home on Sunday, December 8, 2013 at the age of 91 years. The funeral services were held at Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel in Toronto. Rabbi Cutler, from the Beth Tzedec Congregation, officiated. Jimmy was known far and wide for his charisma, outgoing personality and intelligence, qualities which instantly forged friendships and partnerships around the world. In Canada he was a man well-known for his monumental success with Dylex Limited, as well as for his philanthropic endeavours. Jimmy was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 30th, 1922 to his loving parents Sam Kay and Fanny Black. Jimmy graduated in Commerce and Finance from the University of Manitoba at the young age of 19. In 1942 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and spent the following years overseas as Lieutenant and then Captain. He saw active service in Britain and Northwest Europe with Third Division in General Headquarters, returning to Canada in 1946. He was a born leader, evidenced in his army record and in a testament provided by his men who all signed a Dutch Guilder coupled with a thank-you note--"To an Officer, a Gentleman and a Regular Guy"--that he kept to this day. He received multiple medals for his service. After the war, Jimmy went into the family industrial textile business. A lead innovator in industrial textiles, the company grew under his leadership. Not only incredibly bright, Jimmy showed great vision from an early age. It was upon his father's retirement that Jimmy's illustrious business journey began. In 1949 he started his own plastics polyethylene converting business, the largest of its kind in Canada. The company was sold in 1959 to CIL, where he held senior executive positions for five years. In 1963, a memorable year, Jimmy married Elaine Cheslow and moved to Toronto. He and Elaine had four children: Wendy, Sean, Allyson and Melanie and four grandchildren: Wyatt, Noa, Ezra and Sam. Jimmy's entry into retail began in 1964, when he started to purchase businesses where he saw potential for growth. These included his first ladies retail chain, named Fairweather. In 1967 Dylex was born, a company which became the largest clothing retail giant in Canada. The name Dylex, thought up by Jimmy, was an acronym which stood for "damn your lousy excuses", a phrase reflecting the mentality of the company's management. Jimmy served as Chairman and Director. He went on to invest privately in various ventures during the 1970s and 1980s--Wildberry Investments (real estate), Tritor Developments, North Canadian Oils Ltd., Hambro Canada (Shoppers World Plazas, Frank Vetere's Pizzeria, Ponderosa Steakhouse). He purchased Canada's largest tobacco wholesale, named Hudson Bay Wholesale. He served as Chairman and CEO and Keren Developments (Real estate development in Westchester, NY), President of Pine Bell Mines Ltd. and Chairman of CME Capital (Merchant banking organization). Of all his successes, most important to Jimmy were his philanthropic endeavours, and simply giving back to society. He served as President of the Jewish National Fund of Canada, President of the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science. Jimmy held positions on the Boards of organizations which included the Mount Sinai Hospital and the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews and he was a member of the International Board of Governors of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. He also supported the Israel Museum, the Israel Philharmonic and the Hebrew University. He was a strong supporter of the arts (the opera, symphony and the ballet) in Toronto and Palm Beach. Of many honours, The Jewish National Fund Annual Negev Dinner honoured him in 1976. He was an honouree at a dinner for the Canadian Society for Weizmann Institute of Science, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, where he initiated and promoted its Canadian Institute for the Energies and Applied Research (CIEAR). In 1978, he received the Outstanding Humanitarianism Service Award from the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, which cited James F. Kay for his outstanding contribution in promoting understanding and cooperation among the people of Canada, which described him as a man who was eminently successful and influential, a man who maintained the friendly human touch, demonstrating the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of G-d, not only by practicing it in his personal relationships but inspiring others to do so also. Beyond his profession, Jimmy's love for life embraced travel and sports--swimming and golf, tennis and skiing. He was an avid art collector, loved the theatre, the symphony, the opera and the ballet. He was also an active participant in the Oakdale Golf and Country Club. Jimmy was a remarkable man, physically, intellectually and spiritually. He will be remembered for his love of people, his charm, warmth, charisma, philanthropy, his love for his children and grandchildren and as a devoted husband, during his 50 wonderful years of marriage. He was a visionary, a man of limitless energy, a sense of humour, an incredibly optimistic attitude and very strong work ethic. He was a legend in his own time, a great leader who will always be remembered for his accomplishments in business. He was both a deal maker and a risk taker. He was truly an outstanding human being, a man who dressed for success, who had an incredible smile--and no one will forget his amazing head of hair. He will be greatly missed.