Gerry Wood, a U.K. emigre who became synonymous in Calgary with auto retailing and giving back to the community, has died.

Following a lengthy battle with cancer, Wood died Tuesday at the age of 82, surrounded by loved ones, his family said in a statement shared with hundreds of staff employed by the automotive dealership empire he built over nearly five decades.

But top of mind among family and others who knew him was his relentless philanthropy that enriched a wide variety of causes and charities, they said.

“He genuinely cared about people. About how they were doing. About their families. About the communities we live and work in,” said the family.

“What mattered most to Gerry wasn’t recognition or success, but knowing he was helping others and making a difference. That spirit of generosity is a legacy that will live on.”

Wood was born near Glasgow, Scotland, to a father who operated a successful auto dealership there.

He came to Canada in the late 1970s on his way to Papua New Guinea to be with a brother, and made a stop in Calgary that was never meant to last.

But in need of money, Wood parlayed his knowledge of automotive retail into a job at Maclin Ford and success in serving customers that led to him purchasing his first dealership, in Vulcan, south of Calgary.

He bought Southridge Mercury on Macleod Trail in 1983, renaming it Woodridge Mercury, and went on to build the Wood Automotive Group, which now employs nearly 800 people across nine dealerships, an online store and a collision repair outlet.

“Gerry was a true entrepreneur and visionary,” said his family.

“Through determination, hard work and a clear sense of purpose, he built Wood Automotive Group into the company it is today. He cared deeply about this business and every person who is part of it.”

In 2017, Wood was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame, and at that time reflected on what mattered most to him. In an interview, he said one of the things his father taught him was, “You’ve got to give to get.”

For 30 years, he and his wife, Elaine, ran the Woodridge Charity golf tournament that raised more than $4 million to support people with Down syndrome through the PREP Society.

It became a passionate cause for Wood and his wife, following their daughter Megan’s diagnosis as a child. Elaine discovered what the family has described as “an overwhelming need to establish services for individuals with Down syndrome.“

“That was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever been a part of,” said Gerry Wood, whose automotive group was also an integral part of other charity golf efforts.

Those sentiments were entirely genuine, said Curtis Slater, executive director of the PREP Society, which serves children with Down syndrome and their families.

“They helped us secure our own facilities, and Gerry remained one of our strongest partners and really believed in what PREP did,” he said. “He was an amazing man, and it’s a big loss for the city.”

In 2018, the entrepreneur was inducted into the Order of Canada.

More than once, Wood and his company donated $100,000 to the Salvation Army’s annual Kettle Campaign to get the annual effort rolling.

But that generosity in partnership with the Salvation Army went well beyond that, said organization leaders, who point to his contributions that enabled the opening of their community resource centre in Forest Lawn in 2024 and sponsorship of the annual Hope in the City fundraising luncheon.

“Because of his belief in our mission, doors were opened, services were strengthened, and lives were changed,” Lt.-Col. Donald Bladen of the Salvation Army said in a statement.

“His legacy of kindness and community leadership will continue to live on through the countless people he helped and the programs he so passionately supported.”

His and Wood Automotive’s generosity also extended to dozens of other charities, including STARS Air Ambulance, KidSport and Foothills Country Hospice. The company also donated vehicles to a number of causes and collected athletic equipment for KidSport and the Calgary Flames Sports Bank.

Details of a memorial service will be released when available, the family said.

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

X: @BillKaufmannjrn