DICKSTEIN, Joseph - Died in Toronto, surrounded by family, at the age of 90, on August 12, 2020.
Punchlines were his proverbs, frequent flying his friend and foe.
He read insatiably, and thought incessantly about the world.
He loved a great meal and a concert, or even a bad meal if it was a family dinner.
He was a source of support, mentoring, and advice for both family and colleagues.
He was an insurance icon who heard clients in ways others did not hear, looked for solutions others
did not see, and founded and led companies that did what others did not do.
He was born in Montreal, graduated from McGill University, and completed his Wharton MBA the next year. He began an approximately 60 year career in life insurance with his father's Crown Life agency, founded and was the President of Westmount Life Insurance Co. at age 32, and ultimately co- founded, built, and was the President of PPI (Eastern), and Vice-Chairman of PPI Financial Group.
He will be sorely missed by his five children, Michael (Tracy), Melanie (Mike), Oliver (Alexandra), Stephanie, Jeremy (Melissa), grandchildren Jonah, Zachary, Ava, and Frannie, sister Sorel (Kurt), and his close friends and colleagues.
Covid currently prevents our gathering to mourn his loss and celebrate his life, as we would like to do. But, wherever you are, we hope you will join us in raising a glass of good wine to his memory, and telling a joke that is actually the best advice for that exact moment. Hopefully we will be able to celebrate his life with you someday soon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation.
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