Mr. Neil Denis Gaskin

         Neil Denis Gaskin was born in Montreal, Quebec on the 26^th of June, 1922. He was the youngest of three sons born to automobile

executive, Denis (Gus) Gaskin and Margaret (Bernie) MacDonald. Father Gus was transferred for business purposes many times during

the young lives of his three boys. Eventually, they made their home in Walkerville (now Windsor), Ontario. At age 14, Neil was

diagnosed with osteomyelitis (an infection of the bone). He had a bone removed from his forehead, which left a visible lifelong scar.

The expensive operation caused financial hardship for the family. Gus was able to secure a loan to pay medical expenses from

the Royal Bank of Canada for $1500.00 (a lot of money in 1936!). Prophetically, this lead to a lifetime loyalty to the Royal Bank in

both personal and industry financing for father and son.

      Neil’s two brothers (Ron and Vic) joined the Canadian Armed Forces as teenagers. Despite Neil trying to enlist in the army, navy,

air force and merchant marines, he was turned down due to his previous health concerns. While a Walkerville Collegiate cadet, Neil was

a champion marksman. So much so he was invited to accompany Gus on hunting excursions to help colleagues in bagging fowl in flight.

         Not one to turn away from adversity, he contributed by driving cars to and from Ottawa and Montreal during wartime. He acquired

a commercial license in order to deliver military six wheelers on weekends while still in high school. Probably due to his father’s influence,

Neil became a “car guy”. He was ambitious and tenacious from a very early age. After high school, he accepted a job, on the line at Chrysler

for $0.78 an hour. While working, he attended the Chrysler Institute of Automotive Engineering and Detroit Institute of Technology in

Michigan as a part time student on evenings and weekends. After a short period of time, young Neil was offered a position in the Purchasing

Department. Like his father, he was well dressed and was known to strut around the Chrysler office in his tailor-made suits and Dack shoes.

         In 1947, while working in the purchasing department at Chrysler, he met his future wife, Eleanor Stone, who worked in the same offic

e as a comptometer operator. She was expected to decipher his legendary unique handwriting. Initially, Eleanor was not impressed with his

calligraphy or his outgoing, confident personality. After seeing Eleanor as a bride in a Chrysler fashion show, Neil actively pursued her.

They were married in the spring of 1948. Neil’s boss at Chrysler (Ernie Russell) eventually took a job at Studebaker in Hamilton and enlisted

Neil to join him there {Assistant Director Purchasing).  Neil’s father Gus, then the Vice President & General Manager of Studebaker Canada

was not in favour of the move. However; in September 1948 Neil left his new bride in Windsor and moved to Hamilton to join Studebaker.

Eleanor relocated and joined her new husband in Hamilton in October ‘48 to start their new life. Neil was a grass roots kind of worker and

was often found with the guys in the plant during his fourteen hour days.

Neil Gaskin checking out the interior of a Studebaker on the Assembly Line

             Neil became the Purchasing Manager of Studebaker, working with his father, Vice President and General Manager, Gus Gaskin.

In 1952, Gus became President of Studebaker, Canada. In 1954 Studebaker merged with Packard which was to be a contentious

relationship for many old-time Studebaker Executives in both the US and Canada who were left out of many important decisions

Studebaker-Packard was about to make. The tightly knit Canadian team were not impressed with the future product line being promoted

by the new leadership of the amalgamated company in the United States. In December 1958, Gus left the newly formed company to

become President of Mack Truck Canada. Neil, followed suit and left Studebaker-Packard in 1960 to take a position as Sales

Manager with a newly emerging company, American Motors Canada (AMC).

         From the fledgling AMC Toronto offices on Danforth Avenue, Neil and President Earl Brownridge oversaw the location,

construction and implementation of the assembly lines of the Brampton, Ontario factory. In 1964 he was promoted to the position

of Vice President of AMC. When President and Neil’s good friend Earl Brownridge, passed away in 1968, Neil was not chosen as

his successor. Neil resigned from American Motors and chose to remain unemployed for approximately six months while he contemplated

his future options. During that time, he was pursued by several different organizations including a high end dealership on University

Avenue. He accepted a position as General Manager of the Ontario Motor League, which later became the Canadian Automobile

Association (CAA). Neil was promoted to President of the CAA. While there he initiated the CAA Insurance Company, the CAA

Travel Agency and the CAA Magazine.

         His position as President of the Travel Agency caused him to travel the world. After a highly successful career in the automobile industry,

he retired at age 65. Having worked his whole life and not allowing himself time for leisure, upon retirement, he realized that his only “hobby”

was... his work. Neil and Eleanor continued their love of extensive travel following his retirement, but it was not enough to keep Neil busy.

As President Emeritus of CAA he continued to work part time in many different areas. He never really stopped working and was often heard

advising people who enjoyed their work to never retire.

         Neil Denis Gaskin died at age 82, in December 2004. He is survived by his bride Eleanor, their two sons Ron and Mark, one daughter Donne,

their spouses and five grandchildren. Neil is remembered as a “workaholic”. He was often accused of only suffering from the “weekend flu”.

He never missed a day of work even if that meant arriving home on a Friday night and spending the weekend in bed. Miraculously, he would

be well enough to return to work on Monday morning. Although a true family man, his family teased him that his work was his first love.

             The Gaskin Family

Mr. Neil Denis Gaskin was honoured in 2016 for his significant contributions while working at the Hamilton Plant for 12 years by being added to the list of honourees on the Studebaker of Canada Plaque being held at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana

Studebaker Made in Canada