Glen Richardson
Calgary’s dealer community is mourning the unexpected death of Glen Richardson, a partner in three dealerships and a respected industry and community leader. Richardson, known affectionately as “GR,” died July 19 at the age of 87, shortly after attending a local car show.
He served as President of the Calgary Motor Dealers Association from 1998 to 1999. In 2004, he received the Motor Dealers Association of Alberta’s Dealer of Excellence Award in recognition of his leadership, integrity and contributions to the industry.
Longtime friend and business partner Glen Rumpel said Richardson’s sudden death came as a profound shock.
“He was an 87-year-old healthy man,” said Rumpel. “It came when nobody could have possibly known it was going to come. He touched a pile of people. He just did. He will be sorely missed.”
Rumpel said “the great thing is that all of us who knew him have nothing but cherished memories of the man, and I think that’s pretty wonderful. He was a true gentleman, had integrity in spades, was generous as hell and honest as the day is long. In his 87 years, I don’t think one person had anything bad to say about him.”
Jim Gillespie, Executive Manager of the Calgary Motor Dealers Association, also remembered Richardson for his generosity and the way he treated others.
“Glen was a generous person who was heavily involved with Rotary and treated his employees wonderfully,” said Gillespie. “He did an awful lot of his giving quietly. Glen was a prince of a person. Anybody could talk to him.”
Richardson’s son Todd, who worked with his father for 14 years, said he served as a mentor to many people throughout his career.
“He just lived life valuing people,” said Todd Richardson. “When you’re the daughter or son of a man like this, you don’t realize until they’re gone just how well respected he was.”
Among Richardson’s favourite sayings were: “Buildings don’t sell cars, people do”; “It doesn’t matter who’s right, it’s what’s right that counts”; and “The sale is not the end of the transaction, but the beginning of an obligation.”
“He lived his values every day of his life, and they became entrenched in what we believed in,” said Richardson.
A second-generation dealer, Richardson followed his father and uncle into the automotive business after they owned a General Motors franchise. He began his own career as a mechanic and eventually became the youngest GM service manager in Canada.
After the birth of his three children, Todd, Kari and David, Richardson established several automotive businesses in Calgary, including The Used CAR Chalet, 5 Star Motor Homes and Glen Richardson Pontiac Buick. He later hired Rumpel, whom he had known for years, to purchase used muscle cars. When Richardson encountered financial difficulties, Rumpel hired him as Used Car Manager at Stampede Toyota.
In 1988, Richardson partnered with Rumpel and Rumpel’s father, Gordon, to establish Charlesglen Toyota. It became the first of three dealerships owned by the partnership, along with Lexus of Royal Oak and Fifth Avenue Volkswagen. Todd Richardson became Dealer Principal and General Manager of Lexus of Royal Oak. The partners later built a new Charlesglen Toyota facility, which opened in 2011 and was, at the time, one of the largest Toyota dealerships in Canada. Following his retirement, Richardson held the title of Dealer Emeritus.
“He was committed to the business,” said Rumpel. “He was born in the business, he loved the business, and it was all he ever wanted to do and all he ended up doing.
“He enjoyed success and he had some tough times, like we all do. You could knock GR down, but you couldn’t keep him down. He had strength sometimes when other people wouldn’t have. It was a wonderful journey, and I think GR’s whole life was a wonderful journey. I don’t know that he would have changed many things if he had the opportunity.”
Richardson was equally committed to community building. He and his wife, Jeanette, who were married for 65 years, partnered with another family to help create what is being described as Canada’s first dementia-inclusive park. It is scheduled to open in Calgary this fall.
After stepping back from the day-to-day operation of the dealerships, Richardson assembled a collection of almost 100 vintage cars and trucks, along with antique fuel pumps and other memorabilia. The collection was housed in a building in a Calgary strip mall and became known as the Glenboy collection, a play on the name of Calgary’s Glenbow Museum.
Richardson sold the collection at auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2020 and quietly donated the proceeds to Calgary charities.
“Dad never flaunted anything,” said Richardson.
Richardson was also a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Calgary at Stampede Park for 49 years and served as its president from 2001 to 2002. His son David said Richardson exemplified Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.”
“Throughout nearly five decades of service, he championed countless initiatives that improved the lives of children, families and the broader community,” said David Richardson.
“From the very first Rotary Kids at Heart Golf Classic in 2022, he believed the event could become one of Calgary’s premier charitable fundraisers. He proudly committed Charlesglen Toyota as the tournament’s presenting sponsor, establishing a long-term partnership that continues today and has been committed well into the future.”
Just days after Richardson’s death, the tournament achieved its ambitious “Drive for Five” goal, raising more than $500,000 for the Calgary Counselling Centre, CP Kids & Families and the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Society.
Richardson is survived by his wife, Jeanette, his children and his grandchildren.
A service of remembrance will take place September 11 at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary.
