The Pembina Institute was saddened to learn of the loss of David Armour.
David was a long-time champion and supporter of Pembina’s work. He served on the board of directors for 15 years, including as board Chair for six years.
David’s commitment to civil society spoke to his strong convictions and passion for social and environmental justice. During his 40-year career, he provided senior leadership to a wide range of non-profit organizations, including President and CEO of United Way of Canada, CEO of the Canadian Medical Foundation, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, and Director of Philanthropy of the United Church of Canada. David was honoured with a Canada 125 Honorary Medal for Community Service and a Queen’s 50th Jubilee Medal in Recognition of Community Service.
David had a profound understanding of how the charitable and non-profit sectors work. David provided invaluable support and guidance to Pembina’s senior management and made significant contributions to enhancing Pembina’s governance and fundraising capacities. He played a pivotal role in guiding the Institute and its sister organization, the Pembina Foundation, through a complicated restructuring and amalgamation in response to evolving requirements from the Canada Revenue Agency. He made significant contributions to the governance revitalization process that established the basis for Pembina today.
Even after leaving the board in 2020, David kept in touch, often reaching out to offer advice and assistance.
David was a joy to work with. Smart, passionate, open-minded, he was also warm-hearted, funny and deeply interested in his colleague’s welfare. He was generous, but never overbearing in sharing his inexhaustible expertise.
We are thankful for his many contributions. We will miss him deeply.
We offer our deepest sympathies to his friends and family.
