Obituary of Tom Brent

BRENT, Thomas Henry - January 23, 1935 to April 21, 2019 -  Tom Brent met each day with passion, purpose and determination, building a life, with his wife and best friend Sandra, that exceeded his wildest boyhood dreams. He left his imprint on those around him at every step along the way.  A proud graduate of Leaside High School, Tom gained his HBA from the University of Western Ontario in 1959, after earning a spot on the men’s basketball team as a walk-on, beginning lasting contributions to both the Ivey Business School, as a member and Emeritus Member of its Advisory Board since 1998, and to Mustang basketball.  A true entrepreneur, Tom founded Brent Surgical Inc., building the company into a leading Canadian distributor of cardiovascular and dialysis products, with offices in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.  An accomplished athlete in hockey, baseball and basketball, Tom later channeled his love of sport and competition into golf, with memberships at Rosedale Golf Club, Muskoka Lakes Golf and Country Club, and Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach, Fla., as well as the Granite Club.  As a volunteer, Tom joined the Board of Directors of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, serving as its Chair from 1995-1998.  He was a member of YPO and later XPO, with his forum group becoming close and lasting friends.

Tom died peacefully at home, 18 months after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma.  He is survived by Sandra, his sister Lisa Parsons, and his children Sharon (Steve) Miller, Michele and Bob. He also is survived by his eight grandchildren, Andrew Miller, Stephanie (Bill) Pringle, Jeffrey Miller, Michael (Kayla), Tom (Hailey) and Victoria Panno, and Liam and Spidey Brent-Hurst, who will miss his love, guidance and support, not just as their beloved Grandpa, but as a friend. 

After burial at a private family gathering, a celebration of Tom’s life will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. at Rosedale Golf Club.  His family are grateful for the care and compassion he received from his good friends Dr. Andy Smith and Dr. Brian Gilbert at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, together with Dr. Matthew Cheung and Alia Thawer from the Odette Cancer Centre, and Dr. Victor Cellarius of the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Odette Cancer Centre or the Sunnybrook Foundation would be appreciated.