Former boxer dies at age 51
As a professional boxer in his native Winnipeg during the early 1980s, David Dusang amassed an 11-2 record with six knockouts while fighting under the name “The Jewish Bomber.”
But in a 20-plus year career in advertising sales, Dusang – who died Nov. 17 in a car crash just outside Toronto – became renowned for his ability to win over clients with a similarly effective combination of optimism and determination.
After retiring from boxing in 1984 (his last fight was a win via unanimous decision), Dusang went on to attain a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba before moving to Toronto to pursue a career in the similarly knockabout world of marketing and advertising.
Peter Machalek, a partner with Toronto-based chairlift advertising company Adbloc Media, briefly worked alongside Dusang last year. Speaking with Marketing Wednesday, he remembered the 51-year-old as “super positive” and a steadying influence on the start-up company.
“No matter what happened, he always looked at the upside,” said Machalek. “He was really positive and brought a lot of sunshine to the office.”
Dusang’s enthusiasm was infectious, said Machalek. “We’d go into a pitch with a nice brand, and when we’d come out, David would be saying ‘Guys, that’s our million dollar deal right there.’
“It was still so early and really meant nothing, but he was always so positive, trying to encourage us and make us believe that everything was going to work out fine.”
Adapt Media president Jamie Thompson remembers Dusang as a “great media person.” The two worked alongside each other with the Advertising Club of Toronto, and also when Adapt was representing Crissy Field Media’s interactive digital kiosks and displays.
Dusang spent 13 years with SkyDome as vice-president of sales and marketing beginning in 1993, with responsibility for the sports venue (now known as the Rogers Centre), the Toronto Blue Jays and SkyWalk advertising properties. In 1997, he helped launch the now standard home plate signage product.
He also spent two years as vice-president, strategic client services for QuebecorWorld. For the past 10 years, he had worked with Captive Audience Media.
In a recent obituary on the boxing website FightNews.ca, Dusang’s father Kenny told writer Scott Taylor: “He was a good boxer as a young man back in the day, but he was really a better adult. He had a wonderful career in business and was a great husband and father. David was a fine, fine man.”
Dusang leaves behind a wife and two children.
