A leading force in the Canadian and North American printing industry, and specifically the printing ink business, Winfried Gleue died suddenly at the Brampton William Osler Hospital on Saturday, January 29th, he was 66.
Born and educated in Germany, Gleue’s career began in 1962 as an apprentice with Hostmann-Steinberg Germany. In 1980 he moved with his family to Toronto to develop the Canadian operation into a standalone ink company.
In the process Winfried established operations in the U.S. and eventually an organization covering the entire continent. His innovations have included introducing North America to the packaging of sheetfed inks in vacuum cans, and he was a pioneer in the use of electronic resin testing resulting in improved quality levels in ink production.
In 2009 Gleue was presented with the Ault Award from the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers. The lifetime achievement award represents the highest honour bestowed on members of the printing ink community. He was a long-term member of the Canadian Printing Ink Manufacturers Association, serving as President, and was a member of the Supervisory Board of Ryerson University’s Graphic Communications Management program.
He is survived by his wife Jutta, and children Anja and Katrina.
The funeral service was held at the Christ the King – Dietrich Bonhoeffer Lutheran Church, Thornhill, Ont. on Friday, February 4th.
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On February 4th, Jay Mandarino, founder/owner of C.J. Graphics in Toronto shared his memories at Winfreid Gleue’s funeral. Following is a section of Mandarino’s tribute:
Thank you everybody, for coming out today to celebrate the life of Winfried Gleue –
I’d like us to think of today as a celebration – and remember all the great things about Winfried
I am here really speaking on behalf of the people from the printing industry which Winfried dedicated so many years of his life and so much of his time.
I remember when I was just starting out after five years of being a print broker – I was a small little printer, working out of a 1,500-square-foot space downtown [Toronto]. I had just bought my first press, a one-colour Heidelberg GTO and was looking to buy ink for it. (This is my commercial plug for Heidelberg)
So I called a couple of ink companies and basically they wouldn’t return my calls or give me the time of day, as it was just a little order for them with no potential of more sales—or so they thought.
So I call this guy called Winfried Gleue (which I thought this was sort of funny that he was in the ink business but his last name was glue. He probably should have been in the glue and adhesive business with a name like that). Anyway, I knew nothing about him and vice-a-versa and was shocked he returned my call and treated me as if I were a big company.
I think that’s the thing about Winfried I will always respect, it didn’t matter if you were a small, medium or large company, you were a customer and he treated all customers the same—with respect and dignity (and you know the German’s are known for being pretty serious)! Sigh — he had a funny side to him too.
I was just getting started in this business—and this is almost 26 years ago—and of course I have used his products still to this day.
He was just great – like a DAD!
Over the years, other companies that I have been involved with and co-owned have all bought Ink from him.
I will always remember you Winfried.
He’s one of the hardest working and busiest people I knew, and he travelled all over. But he always returned a call and was available if you needed him. I think that was one of the many things I learned from him.
He gave a lot back to the industry, and a lot of you may not know that. I’ve been involved in many associations, one being past president of the Craftsmen’s Club here in Toronto
Winfried was always a great friend of the Craftsmen’s Club. When we would ask for his help he would always say “How can I help? What Can I do?” Whether it is financial funds, scholarships for students, printed materials, connections or getting something donated for a golf prize, he was always there for us.
I remember once at one of our golf tournaments, he always had the business side of him, but can be serious and funny at the same time. I had one of those trick golf balls. Winfried was at the tee ahead of us, so I went there (believe me I’m a terrible golfer, so I try to find little things to make it funny). I had one of these exploding golf balls (don’t know if you’ve ever seen them, but their great!), so I switched his golf ball on him (had someone distract him). I said ok, let’s see if this fancy club really works, give it all you got! (When you hit the ball it basically disintegrates into powder). If you could see the look on his face. I’m sure for the first little while he thought “Why the heck did I hit it that hard?” Then he realized it was me, and I’m a bit of a jokester. I’ll never forget that
He was certainly well respected, even among his competitors! He would always go that extra mile for you and always had a smile – never complained.
Winfried was a man of honour and principle – there was a situation in our industry, which we all know about – Winfried held to his guns, he spent time defending and did the right thing, which a lot of people don’t do, and I commend him for that. Our industry needs more people like that.
I was talking to a friend of mine, Dick Kouwenhoven from Hemlock Printing in Vancouver, BC, and he wanted to share a quick quote, so he says:
“Winfried has always been a great friend, and we have spent some very memorable times together, also with Jutta and Clara. He was a fine man with an unbelievable capacity and dedication. He was an incredible resource on the technical side, and always came through for us. He will be missed!!!
Here’s a quote from Gord Wight, recalling when he was a senior production co-ordinator at Grenville printing here in Toronto in 1983:
“Back in the mid-eighties I had to order ink on New Year’s Eve. I called Hostmann-Steinberg around 4 pm – the only person left was Winfred. He was the one who answered the phone. He made it happen. He called someone in to mix the ink and had it delivered to us early evening. He saw this not as a pain but as chance to help a customer in need, and he did this willingly with sincerity and concern. It was a very important job for us and opened the door to other work from this customer. Thanks Gord!He will be sadly missed, and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to have known and worked with him.
My deepest sympathies and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues
Thank you for letting me come out today and say a few words, on behalf of this very kind and good man, supplier and friend – Winfried Gleue!
