Remembering – Grocery Business Magazine

David Frank Sobey: 1931 – 2023

David Sobey, chair emeritus of Sobeys Inc., a member of the Order of Canada and a 2021 Grocery Business Hall of Fame recipient, passed away September 19 at the age of 92.

David grew up in the family business and, along with his brothers Bill and Donald, swept floors, delivered groceries and took on virtually every job there was as he developed his knowledge of the business. He took on increasingly senior roles, including serving as vice chairman and CEO from 1982 to 1986, and chairman from 1995 to 2001. He retired in 2001 and was appointed chair emeritus by the Sobeys board of directors. He retired from the Empire board of directors in 2015.

Doug Stewart, the former vice chairman and CEO of Sobeys Inc. who retired in 2000, says he remembers David Sobey’s advice to him when he started as president of Sobeys in 1990.

“He said, ‘remember when you are making decisions that we are part of a small community, not just here in Stellarton, but also in many communities we do business in. It’s important to recognize this fact in our decision-making process.’

“He was also conscious of the part our employees played in our business and any success we might achieve, and he loved meeting them as we did on our store visits or had reunions with our long-serving employees.

“When we were planning to purchase Oshawa Foods, a company that was larger than us, he was understandably nervous and sought counsel from members of our board. They unanimously supported the move and were great in helping us assimilate both companies when the deal went through.”

Stewart says Sobey had “one idiosyncrasy. The price of lobster was important to him, and woe betide our merchandising executives if he thought they were over-pricing the retail price. They used to call him the lobster specialist! But this illustrates how David took seriously the adage that retail is detail.”

Michael Medline, president & CEO, Empire Company Limited, says Sobey was a food retailer with an unmatched passion for the business.

“He called me (and so many others) to let us know when he thought we could do better by our customers; he was also the first to share his praise for the accomplishments and successes of both our people and our company.

“David’s visits to our stores across the country were the thing of legend. His eyes would light up when he walked through the front doors as he met teammates, checked out the seafood counter (always with a particular eye on the lobster tank) and quietly marvelled at what our company – the one he played such an instrumental role in building – had become.”