Businessman.
Born at Glasgow, Scotland in 1895, he came to Canada with his family and settled at Foxwarren. He attended Foxwarren School then, during the First World War, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He served in the infantry and later transferred to the transport division.
After his military discharge, he returned to Foxwarren for a few years then operated a retail store at Abernethy, Saskatchewan. There, he met and married Clarissa Celeste “Clare” Bearden. They had no children. He was a member of the Masons at Abernethy and Regina.
In the early years of the Great Depression, he worked at a travel agency in Chicago, Illinois. He returned to Canada in 1935 and joined the staff of Robinson, Little and Company. During the period from 1935 to 1949, he acquired and operated stores for the firm at Gladstone, Neepawa, Killarney, and Clear Lake. In 1949, together with his brother-in-law Harold S. Bearden, he moved to Ontario and operated the Millar Oil Company at Simcoe, Ontario.
After his brother-in-law’s death in 1951, he continue to operate the oil company solely until 1955. He purchased a controlling interest in Robinson, Little and Company in 1957 and was its President until his death when his wife assumed the leadership role.
He died at his home in Oakville, Ontario on 2 January 1962 and was buried in the Foxwarren Cemetery.
See also:
Manitoba Business: Robinson, Little and Company
Obituary, Winnipeg Tribune, 4 January 1962.
We thank Heather Aldwyn for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 20 September 2025
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