facebook twitter instagram linkedin google youtube vimeo tumblr yelp rss email podcast phone blog search brokercheck brokercheck Play Pause
Manulife loses a lifelong valued partner and a true gem: David Wm. Brown Thumbnail

Manulife loses a lifelong valued partner and a true gem: David Wm. Brown

A loving, husband, father and grandfather, passionate community member and one of Canada’s leading insurance and estate planning advisors, David Wm. Brown passed away on February 17 in Toronto. 

David enjoyed a remarkable career as a partner and advisor with Al G. Brown & Associates, a successful family business of three generations and a cherished Manulife partner. He was thoughtful, honest and generous. And above all else, he always treated everyone with great dignity and respect.  

David was also a natural teacher and leader. He exemplified the spirit of sharing your humanity on a daily basis. Not only did he treat all his staff as equals, but he was adamant that everyone feel valued, always crediting his success to the people around him.

To David, philanthropy wasn’t just important. It was his passion. He was instrumental in creating and establishing charitable giving plans that have facilitated the donation of millions of dollars to various organizations, including universities, hospitals, arts organizations, communal organizations and many national and international causes. His passion for philanthropy was so strong, one of his final projects was writing a book on the subject, which will soon be published. 

Despite such a successful career in his industry, David would rarely speak about his accolades and accomplishments himself. Here are just a few of them: He was a 39-year Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) member with 30 years at the top of the table and a very active CALU member, and executive in recent years, driving several key initiatives to ensure that the interests of the industry remained at the forefront. He was also awarded the Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising (STEP) and was both an editorial advisory board member and a contributing writer to Advisor’s Edge magazine.   From clients to staff, David truly cared for everyone and treated them like family. Many clients have been with the firm for several generations and many employees have worked at the firm for two decades or more. 

David was a long-time top producer at Manulife. Those who worked with David described him as someone who was unwaveringly dedicated to his family, his work and his community. He cherished his personal and professional relationships with Manulife leaders, sharing many great conversations with team members about life, kids, his business and interests, particularly genetics and its impact on the insurance industry. He was known to always put his clients first, challenging the team at Manulife to show him why certain products fit his clients’ needs and to work with him on developing financial strategies to help his clients be financially healthy long into the future.  

“David was always very professional, respectful and thoughtful in his approach to problems and issues, which made him an absolute pleasure to interact with,” said Rob Hollingsworth, Manulife’s Head of Distribution, Individual Insurance. “A community leader and innovator, David was a tremendously positive influence on the Life Insurance business in Canada and will be deeply missed by many. A true gem.”  

David approached life with humour, optimism, brightness and energy. He inspired everyone he worked with to be a better person and truly believed in making lives better. He was like this in all aspects of his life — family, community, business and friendship. 

His presence will be missed at Manulife and everywhere around the industry. 

Contributions (in lieu of flowers) can be made to Sunnybrook, where he was treated and received world-class care.

www.myadvisorfocus.ca

www.manulife.ca/accessibility

FOR ADVISOR USE ONLY. © 2021 Manulife. As one of Canada’s largest integrated financial services providers, Manulife offers a variety of products and services including insurance, living benefits, segregated fund contracts, mutual funds, annuities and guaranteed interest contracts. The persons and situations depicted are fictional and their resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This media is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide specific financial, tax, legal, accounting or other advice and should not be relied upon in that regard. Many of the issues discussed will vary by province. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals to ensure that any action taken with respect to this information is appropriate to their specific situation. E & O E. Manulife Mutual Funds and Manulife Exchange‑Traded Funds (ETFs) are managed by Manulife Investment Management (formerly named Manulife Asset Management Limited). Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of Manulife Investment Management Limited. A division of Manulife Asset Management Limited. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in the Manulife Mutual Funds and Manulife ETFs. Please read the ETF facts/fund facts as well as the prospectus before investing. The Manulife Mutual Funds and Manulife ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the contractholder and may increase or decrease in value. Manulife, Manulife & Stylized M Design, and Stylized M Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license.