Gintarius
(Ginty) Frank Jocius lost his two-year battle with brain cancer on
January 2, 2008. Ginty passed away at home, surrounded by family and
hospice care.
Born in post-war
Germany on August 15, 1946 of Lithuanian parents who had fled their
Baltic homeland in 1944, Ginty’s family immigrated to Canada in 1949,
settling in Rodney, Ontario where they eventually started greenhouse
and tobacco farming near the shores of Lake Erie. Ginty is predeceased
by his father, Frank, and his brother, Ronald. He is survived by his
mother, Martha (nee Povilaitis), and brother Peter and his family.
Ginty
graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph,
in 1970 and married Lorie Munce of Leamington, Ontario that same year.
They have three children: Daiva Jocius of Calgary, Alberta; Gavin
Jocius and wife Hannah of Durham, North Carolina; and Jordan Jocius and
partner Julie Bruin of Guelph.
Ginty’s
passion was always agriculture. He mentored under George Atkins at
C.B.C. Radio Noon and then served as Executive Assistant for two
Ontario Ministers of Agriculture and Food, the late William A. Stewart
and the late William Newman. After leaving the Ministry in 1978, Ginty
worked in the cattle industry, helping to launch the first-ever video
auction, the Ontario Beef Exchange.
In
1982, he established his own marketing/communications firm, Ginty
Jocius & associates, in Guelph, specializing in agricultural
products and services across North America. Ginty was always looking
for the “next big idea.” In addition to helping launch Strategic
Research Associates (SRA) now headquartered in at the Research Park in
Guelph, he helped initiate the internet company, Agribiz.net, which
eventually morphed into Farms.com
In
1994, Ginty diversified further into event management by creating
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. Now in its 15th year and held annually in
September at Canada’s Outdoor Park in Woodstock, Ontario, it is the
largest outdoor agricultural tradeshow in Canada. In June of 2004, the
Great Canadian Outdoor Expo was created in celebration of Ginty’s other
passions – family and the great out-of-doors.
A
self-proclaimed entrepreneur, Ginty was just as deeply committed to
“service above self.” He was a member of the Guelph Rotary Club for
almost 25 years, intimately involved in fundraising events such as
“Gift of Wings” and Dream Home projects, and was recently recognized as
an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow. In 1995, he was named Agri-Marketer of the Year by the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) and Alumnus of Honour by the University of Guelph in 1996.
Ginty
was a tireless campaigner in the political arenas, at both the federal
and local levels. He was past Chair of the Agricultural Research
Institute of Ontario (A.R.I.O.) and the Ontario Agricultural College
(O.A.C.) Alumni Foundation; a contributor to the formation of the
Enroot Foundation established by the Ontario Institute of Agrologists;
a Director with the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair; and a strong supporter of the arts in Guelph.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations to be made to The Ginty Jocius Journey of Growth Fund
at the Ontario Agricultural College/University of Guelph; the Brain
Tumour Foundation of Canada; or Hospice Wellington.
Condolences can be emailed to jocius@gintyjocius.com or mailed to 193 Woolwich Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 3V4
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