Businessman.
Born at Winnipeg on 25 May 1947 to Sarah Jane “Irene” Douglas (c1924-2006) and James Umphrey “Jim” Douglas (1918-1975), grandson of George Douglas, his early interests were in aviation. During and after high school, he began to pursue a career in flying, proudly telling everyone that he was flying airplanes five years before he got a driver’s licence. From his teen years on, he worked at the family store, St. Johns Music, which had been started in 1923 by his grandfather, George Douglas.
In 1973, he married Joanne Potter and, two years later upon the death of his father, assumed control of the family business. Together with a group of business associates, he grew the business from a small, 1700-square-foot store front to seven stores in seven cities across Canada, plus a distribution centre. St John’s Music became the second largest retailer of musical instruments in Canada. He also served on the boards of the North American Association of Music Merchants and the North American Association of School Music Dealers.
He joined the Assiniboia Optimist Club in 1977 and proceeded to co-found and co-chair the Optimist Band Festival. He held that position for over twenty-five years and saw the Festival grow from a handful of bands to become Canada’s largest concert and jazz band festival. In 1993, he received the Award of Distinction for outstanding contributions to music education by the Manitoba Band Association. Young musicians held him in high regard for inspiring them and helping develop their skills and their musical careers. He often chose not to collect on the rentals of instruments when he knew the schools and students could not afford to pay.
In 2003, he sold St. John’s Music in order to retire and travel the world, setting foot on all seven continents. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting and spending time at his cottage at Muriel Lake.
He died at Winnipeg on 23 March 2012 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
Obituary [Sarah Jane Douglas], Winnipeg Free Press, 17 April 2006.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 March 2012.
“George Douglas,” National Association of Music Merchants, 26 February 2012.
George Douglas, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 24 February 2026
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