Arthur Irving, chairman emeritus of Canadian and U.S. oil company, gas station and convenience-store operator Irving Oil Ltd., has died at age 93.
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1930, Irving attended Acadia University before joining Irving Oil in 1951. He worked with his father, K.C. Irving, and his brothers Jim and Jack, becoming president of Irving Oil in 1972.
He grew the Saint John refinery, which became the largest in Canada, and he spearheaded the expansion of the company’s international activities, branching out in the northeastern United States market and Ireland. Under his leadership as chairman of the board, the company would be named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in 2017, a title the company has maintained for eight consecutive years.
Irving Oil’s operations in New Brunswick provide work for more than 2,500 local employees, and more than 4,000 employees in all geographies including Atlantic Canada, Quebec, the U.S. Northeast and Ireland.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our Chairman Emeritus, Arthur L. Irving, OC, aged 93, earlier today, surrounded by his loving wife, Sandra, and his devoted daughter, Sarah. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Arthur Irving was a visionary and extraordinary leader, who leaves behind a profound legacy that spans industry, conservation and community,” the company said in a statement. “Until his death, Arthur remained active in the business and was recently recognized for his 73 years of service to the company. For many decades at the helm of Irving Oil, Arthur worked tirelessly on behalf of his employees, customers and partners, stewarding Irving Oil from a regional oil company founded by his father in 1924, to the multinational energy company and top employer in the country that it is today.
“A proud Canadian, Arthur was a steadfast champion of Atlantic Canada and its people, and he dedicated his life to creating opportunities for the benefit of the region. He shook the hand of everyone he met, remembered every name and had a wonderful ability to make every person he met feel a special connection. In this immense loss, we know there will never be another like him. On behalf of everyone at Irving Oil, we thank you for the business, Mr. Irving. It’s been an honor.”
Saint John, New Brunswick-based Irving Oil is a family-owned and privately held international energy company. Founded in 1924, it specializes in the refining and marketing of finished energy products, and it operates Canada’s largest refinery, in Saint John, and Ireland’s only refinery, in Whitegate.
Irving Oil serves customers with more than 1,000 gas stations, convenience stores and truckstops, with a network of distribution terminals spanning eastern Canada, New England—including more than 335 c-stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York—and operates in Ireland under the Top brand.
In 2008, Irving oil expanded a partnership with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., Laval, Quebec, to take on the operation of 252 convenience stores across Atlantic Canada and New England. Irving Oil retained ownership of the locations.
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