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James Kenneth Irving, OC ONB (March 20, 1928 – June 21, 2024) was a Canadian billionaire businessman and the first of three sons in the Irving family born to industrialist K.C. Irving. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, he was the owner and later chairman of J. D. Irving. By the time of his death, his net worth was estimated between $5.5 and $7.2 billion.

Early life

James Kenneth Irving was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on March 20, 1928, the first of three sons born to K. C. Irving and his wife, Harriet Lila Irving (née MacNarin), from Galloway in Kent County. He was educated at Rothesay Netherwood School, a private school in the nearby town of Rothesay.

Career

Beginning in 1957, Irving's work in forestry had led to the planting of over a billion trees. Following K. C.'s death in 1992, ownership and responsibility for the Irving companies was divided amongst his sons, James, Arthur and Jack.

Irving assumed ownership and responsibility of the J. D. Irving conglomerate, which included ownership of several companies in multiple different fields, including logging, frozen foods, transportation and retail. He owned the Brunswick News publishing company until selling in 2022 to Postmedia, the publisher of major newspapers in New Brunswick, including the Telegraph-Journal, the Times & Transcript and The Daily Gleaner. He later served as J.D. Irving's chairman.

In 2000, Irving established the Partners Assisting Local Schools (PALS) program to work with local schools and "give children unique learning opportunities...to break the cycle of poverty for youth living in low-income neighborhoods through academic achievement and the school environment". In 2004, he co-chaired a $25 million fundraising campaign for the Université de Moncton along with Denis Losier. By the time of Irving's death, Forbes estimated his net worth at $5.5 billion, while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index guessed $7.2 billion.

Personal life and death

Irving was married to philanthropist Jean E. Irving until her death in 2019; they had been married for 69 years. They had four children, Jim Jr., Robert, Mary Jean and Judy.

Irving died in Saint John on June 21, 2024, at the age of 96. He was the last of K. C. Irving's sons. His younger brother Arthur died a month earlier. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called him "a symbol of Canadian entrepreneurship and philanthropy".

Awards

Irving received a honorary doctorate from the Université de Moncton in 1989, for business administration. In November 2007, he was inducted into the 2008 Canadian Business Hall of Fame along with his two brothers.

In 2014, Irving received the Order of New Brunswick. In 2015, he received the Order of Canada, which described him as a "corporate leader who has advanced economic development in rural and urban New Brunswick".

In 2016, Irving and Shirley Dysart were made Rotary International's Paul Harris Fellows for creating PALS. In 2017, he won the Honorary Leader Award at the Diversity Champion Awards, organized by Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity through Education, an organization based in Saint John.

References

1. "Irving family announces the passing of James K. Irving". Financial Post. June 21, 2024. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
2. "About the Irvings". Acadia University. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
3. Adams, James (March 4, 2006). "Historic N.B. mansion faces wrecker's ball". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
4. ^ Mercer, Greg (June 21, 2024). "New Brunswick businessman James Kenneth Irving dies at 96". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
5. ^ "James Irving". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
6. "Un Irving beaucoup plus riche et un Irving un peu plus pauvre". L'Acadie Nouvelle (in Canadian French). March 21, 2017. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
7. Glynn, Tracy; Rao, Aditya (2023). "Don't hate the media, be the media". Briarpatch. Vol. 52, no. 1. ProQuest 2765347376. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
8. Ibrahim, Hadeel (February 18, 2022). "Irving-owned New Brunswick newspapers to be sold to Postmedia". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
9. "First RCAF airmen to die in Second World War memorialized in N.B." Times & Transcript. September 16, 2019. p. A5. ProQuest 2290635257. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
10. ^ McPhail, Colin (June 4, 2016). "James K. Irving, Shirley Dysart honoured with top Rotary award". The Daily Gleaner. p. A3. ProQuest 1793706103. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
11. Foster, James (April 8, 2004). "UdeM launches 'excellence' fundraiser; James K. Irving, Denis Losier co- chairmen of campaign to raise $25 million". Times & Transcript. ProQuest 422859445. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
12. "James K. Irving, Canadian Forestry Billionaire, Dies at 96". Bloomberg News. June 21, 2024. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
13. Mercer, Greg (November 6, 2019). "Jean Irving, New Brunswick's 'Mother Irving,' was a compassionate philanthropist". The Globe And Mail. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
14. El Akkad, Omar (November 22, 2007). "The Irving family tree". The Globe and Main. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
15. "Billionaire businessman James K. Irving dead at 96". CityNews. The Canadian Press. June 21, 2024. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
16. "Statement by the Prime Minister on the passing of James K. Irving". Prime Minister of Canada. June 21, 2024. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
17. "L'Université de Moncton". The Globe and Mail. March 24, 2004. p. B8. ProQuest 383894148. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
18. "Irvings among 6 named to Business Hall of Fame". Toronto Star. November 20, 2007. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
19. McHardie, Daniel (August 2, 2008). "Two titans honoured". Telegraph-Journal. ProQuest 423317974. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
20. Farley, Sam (June 21, 2024). "James K. Irving dead at 96". CBC News. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
21. "Greater Saint John journal: Diversity awards being presented". Telegraph-Journal. November 17, 2017. p. B4. ProQuest 1965419507. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.

• Irving family (New Brunswick)
• 1928 births
• 2024 deaths
• Canadian billionaires
• Businesspeople from New Brunswick
• 21st-century Canadian philanthropists
• People from Kings County, New Brunswick
• Members of the Order of New Brunswick
• Officers of the Order of Canada
• 20th-century Canadian newspaper publishers (people)
• 21st-century Canadian newspaper publishers (people)