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`HE HAD A SOFT HEART'

Kingston-area businessman, family man mourned following boating accident

MEGHAN BALOGH

A respected Kingston-area businessman and community leader has died.

Gregg Rosen, 64, died in a boating accident on the St. Lawrence River east of Kingston on Saturday morning.

The president of Kingston's Kimco Steel Sales Ltd. and a resident of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Township, Rosen was a father of three and an avid boat racer who is being mourned by his family, his local community and members of the boat racing world.

Rosen was a co-owner and driver of a speedboat in the Aqua-mania G3 race team, described on the team's website as “one of the world's most extreme offshore racing teams.”

In that role, he was described as “a fearless leader and competitor, whose attention to detail is second to none” and as a person committed to “being the best by bringing out the best in everyone around him.”

Rosen owned the Kingston Voyageurs junior A hockey team for five years.

The Leeds County Ontario Provincial Police reported that they responded to an overturned vessel in the water near Butternut Bay just after 8 a.m. Saturday. They pronounced one occupant of the boat deceased at the scene and transported another to hospital.

While police have not released the identities of the two occupants of the boat, Rosen has been identified as the victim who lost his life in the incident.

Witnesses told the Brockville Recorder and Times on Saturday that a twin-hulled boat “cartwheeled” after changing direction from east to west. People in a fishing boat then pulled two people out of the water, according to local dive boat captain Dan Grant.

Acting Sgt. Aaron Miller, the OPP'S East Region media co-ordinator, said the police had no further information to share on Sunday about the status of the second occupant of the boat, who was transported to hospital.

Miller confirmed that as of Saturday afternoon, technical collision investigators and reconstructionists were still at the scene of the boating incident continuing the investigation.

Rosen's obituary at arbormemorial.ca describes him as devoted to his family, his work and his community.

“He was a truly beloved, respected, and honoured son, brother, husband, grandfather, uncle, businessman and community leader,” the obituary reads. “He will be sorely missed by many. He loved his work, his community and his race boat, but most of all he was a true family man and they were his world.”

Described on social media by those who knew him as a “consummate gentleman that will be greatly missed,” friends spoke about Rosen's generosity and kindness, which one woman said “knew no boundary.”

“We feel fortunate to have known him and are forever indebted for his unwavering support of the 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run and in turn Make-a-wish Central New York,” Diane Brodstein Kuppermann wrote. “We send our deepest condolences to his immediate family and his vast boating family.”

“Mr. Rosen's kindness and charitable acts defined his character,” Kelly O'hara wrote.

Ken Lalonde, an event organizer for the 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run in Clayton, N.Y., told the digital boating magazine Speed on the Water that Rosen was the largest financial supporter of the event.

“Gregg Rosen is an icon around here — I can't think of a better way to describe him,” Lalonde told the digital magazine. “He had such a soft heart. Every year he donates tons of money to our run — he's very generous and is one of our biggest promoters. I don't know if this has even been made public yet, but we just became this year the largest donator to Make-a-wish here in New York ever with the $205,000 donation we made last week. And I know for a fact that would not be possible without Gregg Rosen.”

Rosen's funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 10 a.m. at the Beth Israel Synagogue, 116 Centre St., followed by interment at the Beth Israel Cemetery on Sydenham Road.

Visitors are welcome to comfort the family at the synagogue on Wednesday and Thursday starting at 3 p.m., with prayers at 6:45 p.m.; and on Friday from 9 to 11 a.m.

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2023-09-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-09-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

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