Delmore "Del" Crewson

Delmore (Del) C. W. Crewson, FCA

June 25, 1942 – February 22, 2017

It is with great sadness that we announce, after a valiant fight with cancer, that Del passed away peacefully with his family by his side. He is lovingly remembered by Emily, his wife of 51 years, two sons, David and Geoffrey, daughter-in-law, Marianne, and grandchildren, Charlotte and Scott. He is survived by his brother, Herman (Anne), and nephews, Terry and Larry and their families.

Del was born in Portage la Prairie and grew up on the farm in Edwin, Manitoba. He attended schools at Edwin and the Portage Collegiate Institute. After a short apprentice period as a butcher in Portage, Del returned to school at United College, and in 1962, entered the five year program to become a Chartered Accountant. In 1965, he and Emily were married, and she continued to support Del through his studies. Del earned his CA designation in 1967, scoring the second highest mark on the Uniform Finals in Manitoba.

After four postgraduate years with Touche Ross in the Tax Group, Del joined the Hudson’s Bay Company corporate head office in Winnipeg. While at the Bay, Del attended the Harvard Business School’s Executive Corporate Financial Management Program. In 1974, he was appointed Assistant Treasurer of the Bay and all its Canadian subsidiaries. However, with the decision to move all senior executives to Toronto in the mid 1970’s, Del decided to keep his family in Winnipeg, which resulted in a career change.

Del joined the Dunwoody & Company partnership in 1976 and was appointed Winnipeg Office Managing Partner the following year. While with Dunwoody, he was elected to the Firm’s Canadian Executive Committee and served for a period of 6 years, including 2 years as Chair of the Canadian Firm.

With the consolidation of the accounting firms in the late 1980’s, Del and his partners withdrew the Winnipeg Office from Dunwoody and joined the merger of Deloitte & Touche. Following the merger, Del assumed the role of National Director – Owner-Managed Business, splitting his time between Winnipeg and Toronto. In 1996, he returned full-time to Winnipeg for a three year appointment as Office Managing Partner. During his years with Deloitte, he was elected to the Firm’s Canadian Board of Directors where he served for 8 years. In 2001, he was appointed Vice Chair of the Firm, a position he held until his mandatory retirement in 2004.

Immediately after retiring, Del began his next career as an Independent Director. He served on the Boards of Wawanesa Insurance, Pollard Banknote, and Artis REIT, chaired the Audit Committee for the Department of Finance Canada and chaired the Audit Committee for the Canadian Grain Commission.

Del began serving on volunteer boards and committees very early in his career. In 1967/68 he was awarded the “Outstanding Jaycee of the Year” by the Winnipeg Jaycees for his leadership and volunteer activities. Del served on numerous community boards including St. John’s-Ravenscourt School (Board & Chair of Finance), SJR Foundation (Trustee), Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature (Board, Chair of Finance & Vice Chair of the Board, awarded Honorary Life Membership), Manitoba Museum Foundation (Board & Chair), the Associates of the Faculty of Management (Board & Chair), Winnipeg Jets Interim Steering Committee (Board & Chair), the Forks Development Corporation (Board), Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (Board of Management & Chair of the Audit Committee), The Manitoba Club (Committee of Management & President). Del was also a member of the Canadian Club, the Winnipeg Winter Club, the Portage Hunting Club and a number of professional organizations.

Del served the Institute of Chartered Accountants at both the Provincial and National levels for many years. He was a Past President of the Manitoba Institute and Past Chair of the Institute’s Foundation. Del was the second recipient of the Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to him in 2003 and recognizes sustained lifetime distinction in service to the profession, career and community.

Del’s two favourite sports were curling and golf. He started curling on the two sheets of natural ice in Edwin and remained an active curler until this past year. He was an avid golfer and member at the St. Charles Country Club for nearly 40 years, and enjoyed playing at different clubs in the province as a member of the Manitoba Seniors Golf Association. The highlight of his golfing experience was participating on the St. Charles team when they competed in the MacKenzie tournaments in New Zealand, Argentina and twice in Ireland.

Above all else, Del was a very committed family man. Quality family time occurred at the Delta Beach cottage, enjoying all four seasons and holiday events. Del found great joy being actively involved in the lives of his grandchildren, Charlotte and Scott, and was proud to see them growing into accomplished and caring young people. The entire family would always look forward to the annual Spring Break vacations in Palm Springs and Florida.

Del always remembered his roots, fondly recounting stories of growing up in the farming community of Edwin. It was these early days that formed his sense of values: a hardworking man with the acumen of a talented business professional. He was a wonderful example to his family, a leader within the community and always concerned about the needs of others. Our family’s loss is shared by the many people that knew him.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00PM Wednesday, March 8th at Westwood Community Church, 401 Westwood Dr. in Winnipeg.

A reception will be held at a later date for the Portage and area family and friends, and will be an opportunity to share memories of Del and his parents, Bert and Barb Crewson. Notification will be made in the local newspaper.

The family would like to thank all the healthcare professionals at the Victoria General Hospital, Buhler CancerCare Centre, St. Boniface Hospital Palliative Care and, in particular, our family physician Dr. Brent Young for the care and support of Del and our family during this difficult time. We are also grateful for the overwhelming support demonstrated by family, friends and colleagues.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Delmore and Emily Crewson Family Fund at the Winnipeg Foundation, 1350 - One Lombard Place, Winnipeg, MB. R3B 0X3, or to CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, MB. R3E 0V9 or to any charity of choice.

A tree will be planted and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel. www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com. 204-857-4021.