November saw the passing of three Ottawa businessmen who each left their mark on the city over many decades in the capital.
Solly “Sol” Shabinsky died on Nov. 26 at the age of 93, while John Westeinde and Michael Caughey both died on Nov. 29, at the ages of 87 and 90, respectively.
Sol Shabinsky, founder of Glenview
An Ottawa native born on March 20, 1932, Shabinksy began his career in grocery advertising in Montreal before returning to Ottawa to work at his wife’s uncle’s mortgage business, according to his obituary.
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It was a move that led him to the real estate industry, where he found his niche.
In the ‘60s, Shabinsky founded Glenview, which became the largest private commercial landlord in Ottawa by the 1990s, according to the company’s website.
“He was considered the pioneer of suburban office buildings in Ottawa, developing a widely admired and highly regarded portfolio of properties, including the flagship and national award-winning Carling Executive Park,” his obituary read.
But his business aspirations didn’t stop there. For nearly half a century, Shabinsky was the owner of one of the city’s best-known family businesses, the Ottawa Athletic Club. Before the pandemic led to its closure, the club on Lancaster Road served 4,000 members, with up to 1,500 people passing through its doors each day.
He is also known for his philanthropy and other business ventures, including The Hayloft and Le Biftheque restaurants, The Sly Fox disco, The Towne Cobbler luggage chain, Marlin Travel and Friends’ Bingo Hall.
Shabinsky is survived by his wife of 70 years, his four children, two daughters-in-law and 15 grandchildren.
John Westeinde, co-founder of Westeinde Construction
Born in the Dutch province of Zeeland just before the start of the Second World War, Westeinde grew up in occupied Holland. When he was 14, his family immigrated to Canada and set up a small farm near London, Ont.
After graduating from Western University’s engineering program in 1962, his early career took him to England, where he worked with Wimpey Construction, then across Canada with EllisDon, a London, Ont.-based construction services company.
While working for Fuller Construction, Westeinde landed in Ottawa, where he managed the construction of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
In 1978, he and wife Shirley co-founded Westeinde Construction, which expanded into a family of companies in the following decades.
In addition to their business success, the couple shook up Ottawa’s social scene: “Their beach parties on the Ottawa River were legendary, where hard hats and construction talk gave way to sandals and laughter,” read Westeinde’s obituary.
Over the years, Westeinde served as chair of the Ottawa Construction Association and the Ontario General Contractors Association. He was also a lifelong member of the Canadian Construction Association, participating on the board and committees, and helped found the Canadian Design-Build Institute in 1998.
Westeinde is survived by three children, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and remembered by his brother, sister and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of life is scheduled for Dec. 21 at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre.
Michael Caughey, tech executive
Born and raised in New Brunswick, Caughey became a pioneer in Ottawa’s high-tech scene, beginning with his 14 years with Bell Northern Research, where he launched the microchip design and testing lab.
During his career, Caughey held senior leadership roles at some of the city’s most recognizable tech companies. He took on several roles at Mitel during its rapid expansion period and was the founding president of the Ottawa Carleton Research Institute.
As co-founder of the company that later evolved into Kinaxis, Caughey played a major role as the region’s innovation community grew and accelerated.
As a leader in the tech space, he became a mentor to many startups. His monthly Technology Venture Dinner helped match entrepreneurs with potential investors.
“Connecting people was a lifelong passion for Mike, and he delighted in organizing a monthly gathering of technology executives known as the “TEA Party” (held at the local pub, with no politics or tea involved),” his obituary said.
Caughey and his wife, Sue Hamilton, retired to Almonte, a “community he deeply loved,” according to his obituary. But their retired lives were far from quiet. The couple spent five years sailing before trading in their boat to travel by land on seven cross-continent road trips that took them around the world.
After a “full and rich 90 years,” Caughey is survived by his wife, his sister, three children, seven stepchildren, and many grandchildren, as well as one great-grandson. A celebration of life will take place on Dec. 15 at the Almonte Civitan Club.
