Memorable Manitobans: R. Ross Smith (1930-2008)

Business executive, sports executive.

Born in Three Rivers, Quebec on 28 July 1930, only son of Fred and Elsie Smith, he attended McGill University and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. He worked at Shell Oil in Calgary. After marriage in 1956 he and wife Dorothy moved to Palo Alto, California where he earned an MBA from Stanford University then returned to Calgary and joined Home Oil. He was hired by James Richardson and Sons and moved to Winnipeg, where he directed the operation of Richardson companies involved in pipeline and highway construction, earth moving, fueld distribution, and busines forms manufacturing. Appointed a Vice-President in 1977, he retired in 1993. He served as President of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the CFL, and he was on the boards of Pan Canadian, Wawanesa, and Richardson Greenshields Securities. He died at Winnipeg on 10 April 2008.

Sources:

“Richardson V-Ps named,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 June 1977, page 16.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 April 2008.

“Manitobans’ Legacy a Better Province,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 January 2009, page B2.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 30 May 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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