Steve de Pinto.

TORONTO—Centennial Optical announced the sudden passing on Nov. 18 of the company’s president, Steve de Pinto, 63 years old. “It is with great sorrow that we share the passing of our president, our leader, mentor and friend,” the company wrote, adding, “After completing his MBA degree at the University of Toronto, Steve became the driving force in building Centennial’s lens business as vice president, taking on the overall management of the company in 2006, when he became the company’s president and CEO.

The company’s statement continued, “An avid chess player, reader and thinker, Steve embodied Centennial’s founding principles of integrity, fairness and true partnership with suppliers and customers, as established by his father, Roger, who founded Centennial in 1967. Steve cared deeply about the employees of Centennial and applied the same principles of fairness and respect with each member of the Centennial family.”

Highly respected throughout the industry, de Pinto established many successful relationships with suppliers and customers. The Centennial Optical team said it is “committed to continuing Steve’s legacy, working together with our partners to grow Centennial as he envisioned, providing the best in products and service to the optical industry.”

Centennial extended its deepest sympathies to de Pinto’s parents, Roger and Denise de Pinto, his daughter Arielle, son Shael, sister Carole, partner Tracy Calvert, and his extended family. “Much loved, Steve will be greatly missed by all of us.” Donations in tribute to Steve de Pinto may be made to the Odette Cancer Centre of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre here.

Services for de Pinto will be held on Wed., Nov. 21 at Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel in Toronto at 4:00 p.m. Information is posted here.