John Lecky - Business and Later Career

Business and Later Career

In 1964 Lecky was awarded the Mackenzie King Scholarship in International Law. He began his business career as an investment analyst with Greenshields in Montreal in 1965. Seven years later, he formed the Resource Service Group, a company whose operations over the years have included well-head services and petroleum exploration.

In 1976, Lecky competed in the Silver Goblets again, reaching the finals. After retiring from rowing, he became an active member of the executive board of the Canadian Olympic Association, and was chef de mission of the Canadian Olympic Team in Los Angeles. His efforts helped Canada to win 44 medals, its largest number ever.

In 1979, his company, Resource Service Group, took a one-third interest in Westgrowth Petroleum, and a year later he moved his company to Calgary, Alberta.

Lecky helped John Crosbie in his unsuccessful campaign for the federal Progressive Conservative leadership in 1983.

Lecky became chairman and principal shareholder of the charter airline Canada 3000. This grew to be the second largest in Canada, flying into Gatwick and Manchester. The company took record bookings on September 10, 2001, but had to close within two months of the September 11, 2001 attacks in America the following day.

Lecky also became a keen mountaineer in later life, climbing in the Rockies and in the Alps. He climbed Aconcagua in Chile, and Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya in Africa. In 1993, he reached 23,000 ft without oxygen on Masa Gang, in Bhutan.

Lecky died in Calgary at the age of 62.