Leo J. Hussey

Leo J. Hussey

Sewall's Point - Leo Hussey, retired business executive, passed away peacefully at his home in Sewall's Point, FL, on January 22. He was 80 years old.

Leo Joseph Hussey was born in Ottawa, ON, the oldest son of Rita (St. Aubin) and Joseph Lowe Hussey. As an artistic child, he was chosen to study and paint with Canadian master Henri Masson at the National Gallery. In his teens, Leo formed and sang in a vocal group, The Belvederes, that briefly included Paul Anka, before artistic differences forced the "My Way" composer to seek his fame in New York.

Graduating at the top of his class from Ottawa Technical Institute in 1956, he was awarded the Collegiate Institute Board Medal for scholastic attainment, the John McKinley Medal for printing arts, and a printing apprenticeship in Jasper, AB. Tall and athletic, Leo played Canadian football for the Ottawa Sooners as placekicker, while going to business school at night. In 1960, he married fashion model Saundra Keays (divorced in 1973), and began working on special design projects, under the authority of Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., for The Queen's Printer for Canada. Leo and his wife were presented to Queen Elizabeth II, during her Royal Tour in 1964.

A call from former New York Herald editor, Dr. Edwin Menninger, prompted Leo to move his young family to South Florida. Dr. Menninger, scion of the Menninger Clinic family, owned both the Stuart News and Southeastern Printing Co., and recruited Leo to "sort out" management concerns at the growing printing house. A year later, it was acquired by Burnup & Sims, a public telecom company with holdings in cable, fiber optics, satellites, utilities, financial services and media. When Leo became president of Southeastern in 1974, he joined the executive board of Burnup & Sims, and divided his time between both businesses.

Southeastern was given a multi-million dollar expansion, in both sheet-fed and web press platforms. The company won numerous awards for their fine art printing, and became one of the nation's largest beverage label manufacturers. The National Association of Printers and Lithographers named Southeastern the best-managed printing company in the U.S., under Leo's leadership. He also personally oversaw many noted print projects: The Codex Mendoza four-volume set; The Plan of St. Gall (a medieval architectural masterpiece, often described as one of the most important books of the 20th Century); The Forum of Trajan in Rome; and locally in Florida, Maurice Fatio: Architect, John L. Volk, Palm Beach Architect, and Sewell's Point.

Between 1978 and 1981, Burnup & Sims tripled earnings, and grew into the "country's largest cable-teleservices conglomerate" according to the New York Times. Leo was promoted to senior vice president of the board during that time, and then chief operating officer, overseeing their seventeen subsidiaries. In 1982, the company became the target of a hostile takeover by notorious corporate raider, Victor Posner. National news outlets followed the proceedings. Burnup & Sims retaliated with antitrust suits, and put then-rare 'golden parachutes' in place to be triggered if any shareholder got more than one-third of the company's stock. Led by chairman Nick Caporella, the board also created a new subsidiary, National Beverage Corp., funded by stock to further dilute Posner's stake. The takeover was successfully blocked, and the competitive strategy became a case study in university business courses.

After Burnup & Sims merged with Miami-based Mas-Tec in 1994, Leo purchased and privatized Southeastern Printing. He acquired other printing and graphics firms to further expand the business, until he sold the company in 2006.

Leo's interest in adventure began when, at age 18, he and his childhood friend set sail aboard a merchant freighter to England, and promptly joined the Explorer's Club upon arriving in London. In his lifetime, he travelled to 60 countries. Leo delighted listeners with his true-life stories of solo-motorcycling through Europe; portaging canoes across Canada; rafting and piranha fishing on the Amazon River; climbing Machu Picchu in Peru; trekking to the Tiger's Nest in Bhutan; and several near-miss events aboard private aircraft in remote locations. But his favorite adventure was how he met a stranger (who became his best friend for the last 30 years) in a bar in Pamplona, Spain, one night, and convinced him to run with the bulls together the next morning.

His passion for motorsports took him every year to racetracks and events around the world, including Formula One Grand Prix championships (in 10 countries), 24 Hours of Le Mans, Isle of Man TT Races, Bonneville, Laguna Seca, Monterey Car Week, Cavallino Classic, Daytona Bike Week, and Amelia Island Concours Week. He was a longtime car and motorcycle collector, and member of the Ferrari Club of America.

Leo remained an athlete over his lifetime. He ran several marathons, and often placed in the top five in Iron Man triathlons (where he would often register in the age group a decade younger), or other multi-sport competitions that included running, cycling, biking, rowing, and shooting. He ran daily until age 78.

Leo divided family time between Florida and Canada, and spent many summers with relatives and friends in a 3-story log cabin he hand-built on Centennial Lake, near Calabogie, ON. He was an enthusiastic member of the winning trivia team, The Brainiacs; the Royal and Ancient Cigar Society; and the Rideau Club of Ottawa. He was a benefactor, mentor and trusted advisor to many; and, as a volunteer, taught adult literacy at the Martin County Library, and coached long-distance running at the YMCA.

Owing to his bearded and debonair appearance, strangers would often approach him to say how much he looked like the "Most Interesting Man in the World," only to find themselves making a new friend, and then, after getting to know him, confirming that Leo was, in fact, the most interesting man they had ever met. He was indeed a "man for all seasons."

Leo Hussey is survived and dearly missed by his three daughters, Susan and her husband Jock, Julieanne, and Jennifer and her husband John; his four grandchildren, Aaron, Alena, Ashlyn, Jillian, and step-grandson John Paul; his brothers, Michael and Robert; his niece, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews; and by his longtime girlfriend Joan, and many friends, whom he considered his family. A private service will be held later.