“David, like his brothers Bill and Donald, was introduced to the grocery business at an early age, honing his skills and knowledge working virtually every job there was in the family’s ever-expanding business,” says a news release from Empire.
Members of the Sobey Foundation and Sobeys officials pose for a photo during the grand opening at the square. Pictured from left to right is Frank Sobey, Donald Sobey, Brad Bethell, Dave Sobey, Joanne Hames, David F. Sobey, and Paul Sobey. “I remember walking into what I would describe as the premiere market/deli/store in Sarasota with David, we went in to take a look at the store and their offering. This was about five years ago, David was 87 at that point. We introduced ourselves to the owner, it’s a family-owned and operated business, and this guy asked David about himself. And David said, ‘Well, I run a few grocery stores up in Atlantic Canada.’ At that point, we were about $28 billion in sales.
“David was an incredible retailer, business leader and a mentor to so many of us at our company as well as in our industry,” said Michael Medline, the president and CEO of Empire."His legacy is an unparalleled business culture that spans from coast to coast and is lived every day by our 131,000 teammates. Throughout his life, he exemplified the kind of leadership in business and the community to which we must all aspire.
“He and the Sobey family have been such promoters and champions of Nova Scotia," said the premier."David and Donald and the family certainly showed so much leadership in the community, it’s a sad day for the family, it’s a sad day for Nova Scotia and it’s a sad day for me, personally. David was a very insightful person and a very calming voice. I appreciated my interactions with him tremendously, and I’ll miss him.