Obituary: Businessman and arts patron Carl Turkstra was ‘a remarkable human being’
The Hamilton arts community is mourning the loss of Carl Turkstra, an important patron who financially helped such groups as the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach Elgar Choir, Theatre Aquarius and Hamilton Artists Inc.
The former president of Turkstra Lumber, the Hamilton-based business with 11 stores in Ontario, provided $385,000 to the latter group in 2008 to buy a former downtown men's clothing store for a new headquarters.
The Dundas resident - who died at 85 on May 22 - supported a world film festival at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and helped buy and restore the Westdale Theatre. He and his wife Kate founded Incite Foundation for the Arts in 2011 and, within three years, it had donated $500,000.
Culture is the best place to give," Turkstra told The Spec in 2014.
Son Peter Turkstra, now president of Turkstra Lumber, said though his father was known for his support of the arts, he never sought the limelight.
Most of what he contributed no one will ever know," said Peter. He never really wanted to be a Morgan Firestone or an old legacy. At the end of the day, he called his legacy Incite, not the Turkstra Lumber Foundation."
Turkstra also helped groups like the Dundas Valley School of Arts, City Kidz, the Royal Botanical Gardens and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He gave money to Redeemer University for a library in his father's name.
Thank you Carl," the HPO said in a statement. We wouldn't be the HPO we are today without you."
The Hamilton Music Collective called Turkstra a friend and a remarkable human being. Carl and Kate fervently believed in the power of the arts to enrich communities."
Fred Fuchs, chair of the Westdale Cinema Group, called Turkstra one of Hamilton's best citizens.
The restored Westdale would not have existed without him," he said in a statement. He ... not only committed to helping finance the purchase but provided numerous connections and valuable advice throughout the restoration efforts."
Mayor Fred Eisenberger called Turkstra one of Hamilton's most enthusiastic champions. Few residents have made the impact he has," he said in a statement.
Turkstra was born Oct. 29, 1936 in Hamilton. His parents, Peter and Tina, came to Canada from Holland. His father arrived in 1927 and the family started businesses selling vegetables and eggs. Peter ran an egg hatchery and founded Turkstra Construction in 1940. It became Turkstra Lumber in 1953.
His mother Tina was a homemaker but was active in community work in Burlington.
Turkstra graduated from Westdale High School and studied civil engineering at Queen's University in Kingston. He earned a master's degree in structural engineering at the University of Illinois and received the first PhD in engineering awarded by the University of Waterloo.
Turkstra spent 26 years in the academic world as professor and department head at the University of London in England, Montreal's McGill University, the University of Mexico and New York University in the departments of civil and environmental engineering. He developed Turkstra's Rule for load combinations in structural design. The rule has been used in building codes in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. He twice received the State of the Art Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
He returned to Hamilton to run Turkstra Lumber in 1989. He told The Spec he was getting tired of the academic world. He stayed at the helm of the company until he retired in 2010.
Turkstra was a member of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction and the Spectator Community Editorial Board. He wrote on such topics as Opera Hamilton, one-way streets, a downtown casino and the future of the monarchy. He continued writing op-ed pieces for The Spec on such subjects as the LRT.
Turkstra was nominated in 2006 for the Royal Bank Distinguished Citizen of the Year. He was named to the Hamilton-Halton Home Builders' Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and was inducted with his wife into the Gallery of Distinction in 2016.
In 2019, he established the Turkstra Chair in Urban Engineering at the University of Waterloo.
Turkstra is survived by his wife Kate, children Peter and Jennifer, and four grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Herman, Clifford and Marlene.
Daniel Nolan can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com