Industry mourns sudden passing of veteran dealer

A celebration of life will be held this weekend for David Lalonde after his sudden passing.

Friends and acquaintances are invited to the Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., on Feb. 25 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Markham Stouffville Hospital or Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ont.

Lalonde died suddenly on Feb. 16. For nearly 40 years, he had been the face of WEINS Canada. WEINS currently operates more than 10 franchise dealerships including Don Valley North Lexus, Audi Centre Oakville, Mississauga Honda and Mercedes-Benz Barrie.

Throughout his long tenure in automotive retail he worked as a director on the TADA board and sat on the TADA government relations committee for nearly 30 years.

He was awarded the CADA Retailer Laureate award in 2006.