Obituary of Richard Geoffrey Pentland Styles

Geoff was born on December 3, 1930 in Regina, Saskatchewan to parents Charlotte and Alfred Styles.  He grew up playing basketball and tennis, as well as chasing prairie dogs with his cocker spaniel Rusty.  While attending the University of Saskatchewan he discovered he couldn’t stand the sight of blood and changed his focus from medicine to business.

After graduating in 1951, Geoff joined the Royal Bank in Victoria and rose steadily through the ranks with positions in Chicago, Montreal, London (Ontario and England) and Toronto.  He ultimately became Vice Chairman, a position he held until his retirement.  Among many achievements, he was directly involved in the 1970 creation of consortium bank Orion, a significant player in the Eurobond market, and the transition of RBC into investment banking.  To this day, his former colleagues and clients remember him as a warm and wonderful person.   

After retiring, he continued his career as a corporate director with a total of 13 boards including Onex, Royal Trust, Fortis, the Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor International and the Toronto Symphony Foundation.  He also served as a Governor of Mount Sinai Hospital.  In 2004, Geoff created The Styles Family Foundation which provides several scholarships and a program of charitable donations.

While he had a highly successful business career, Geoff would be the first to say his greatest accomplishments were marrying the love of his life, Jackie, in 1959, and having their two children, Leslie and David.  Despite the demands of his work, Geoff’s first priority was always his family, followed closely by their many friends.  Famous for their Christmas parties, he and Jackie would send out over 200 Christmas cards each year.  As well-known snowbirds in Longboat Key, Florida, Geoff and Jackie established even more great friendships in what became their second home.

Geoff was truly a world traveler, visiting nearly 100 countries on business and vacation.  In later years, he and Jackie undertook several international cruises stymieing Leslie and David’s attempts to ever catch his total.  Geoff was an avid sports fan closely following the Blue Jays, Raptors and his beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders.  He was a member of Rosedale Golf Club and was rumoured to be a pretty good table tennis player.

Geoff died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on May 22, 2021 following a brief struggle with nonalcoholic liver disease.  Predeceased by brother Pat in 2011, he is missed beyond words by Jackie, Leslie (Guy), David (Anna), sister-in-law Joyce and many nieces and nephews.  Heartfelt thanks to his wonderful caregivers from the Temmy Latner Centre, Sara and her team at Saint Elizabeth Health Care, and his personal physician Dr. Bradley Kaplansky.  Cremation has already taken place and a celebration of Geoff’s life will take place when it is possible.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Geoff’s name can be made to the Canadian Liver Foundation.  Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.

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