Businessman, community activist.
Born at Minnedosa on 6 November 1937, eldest son of Samuel Sperrey “Sam” Dillabough (1910-1982) and Bessie Evalyne Schmaus (1918-2007), he was educated in Minnedosa then, in 1955, began working for the Canadian Pacific Railway. The following year, he began working as a meat cutter at J. A. Burgess and Sons. He moved to Brandon in 1957 to worked in the newly opened Burgess Solo Store on Sixth Street.
He joined Canada Safeway in 1960 and spent 17 years with the firm, rising to management to a final position of District Manager. He and his family lived successively at Dryden (Ontario), Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario), and Winnipeg. He left the company in 1977 to consult with Westfair Foods (Loblaws). He opened the company's first Super Valu store at Saskatoon (Saskatchewan). He then became an Associated Dealer with Canadian Tire and purchased his first store at Deep River (Ontario) in May 1980. Three years later, he moved to St. Johns (Newfoundland) to open a new store, finally returning to Brandon in 1988.
On 12 July 1961, he married Gloria Anne Arbuthnott at the First United Church in Brandon and they had two daughters and a son. He served with the Brandon Economic Development Board, Brandon Area Foundation Board, Brandon Kiwanis Club (Chairman), Helping Hands Board (Chairman), and Canadian Tire Dealers Association Board (Vice-President). In recognition of his community service, he received a YMCA Peace Metal (2002), Canadian Tire Award of Excellence (2004), life membership in the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, and Brandon Business Person of the Year (1995).
He died at the St. Boniface Hospital on 22 January 2011.
Marriage registration [Samuel Sperrey Dillabough, Bessie Evalyne Schmaus], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Announce engagement,” Brandon Sun, 12 June 1961, page 5.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 5 February 2011.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 22 November 2024
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.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
