Vincent Lai dies day before Valentine’s Day
BUSINESSMAN Vincent Lai, who left Jamaica to build the popular Canadian-based Nicey’s Food Mart, died on the eve of Valentine’s Day.
He suffered from a “brief illness”, according to the company in a mailed response to Observer queries.
“[He] passed away at his home in Richmond Hill on 13th February, 2015,” the statement added.
Vincent and wife Lorain Lai were 2010 Jamaica Observer Business Leader nominees.
“He successfully built and developed Nicey’s Food Mart into the largest Chinese West Indian supermarket group in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with several franchises (Brampton, Downsview, Mississauga, Pickering, Vaughn) ,” read the statement which the company issued Thursday.
It all started in 1979, when Vincent and Lorain purchased Nicey’s Food Mart, a small West Indian grocery store in Scarborough.
At that time, the company operated a 1,000 square-foot operation which it subsequently expanded eight-fold. So powerful was this brand within the so-called ethnic market in Canada that the Lais were able to develop a five-branch network using the franchise model, within the Greater Toronto area.
Lai was well-known in the Chinese and West Indian communities and was recognised for his philanthropic involvement and work.
Lai was born in Kwantung, China, in March1950, but his family moved to Jamaica in 1954. The family resided in the Montego Bay Area and he attended and graduated from Cornwall College. He married Lorain in August 1976, and shortly after moved to Toronto, Canada.
He received numerous awards including the BBPA Harry Jerome President’s Award in 2013 and the Business Leaders Award nomination for promoting entrepreneurship in 2010.
Lai is survived by Lorain Lai; son Dr Richard Vincent Lai; daughter-in-law Kari Drue Lai; daughters Melissa Katherine Lai; son-in-law Nishan Gageton Jeyarajah, and Camille Renee Lai. His surviving siblings include brothers Joslyn Lai and Cosmo Lai; sister-in-law Susan; Derick Lai; sister-in-law Valerie Hoang; sister Patricia Hue; brother-in-law Frank Gary Hue; sister in-law Mary Lai, and several nieces and nephews.
