Henry Joseph McManus was born in

St. Thomas, Ontario St. Thomas is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It gained its city charter on March 4, 1881. The city is also the seat for Elgin County, although it is independent of the county. At the time of the 2021 Census, the population of the city wa ...

, on July 9, 1907. He moved to

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, as a young man and started several companies, including McManus Petroleums, Imperialle Fuels, Red Star Gasoline, Sterling Fuels, Arrow Petroleum, CJOE & McManus Motors. Over the years he also purchased several major businesses such as T. Husband Transport, Hotel London, London Arena & the Stork Club in Port Stanley, Ontario. Hotel London was built in 1927 and Joe purchased it in 1962. It was sold in 1972 and was torn down to make way for the City Centre Tower that now stands at the corner of Dundas and Wellington. Joe McManus was one of the most prominent Catholic laymen in the London diocese and for his work and contributions on behalf of the church, he was invested as a Knight of the Magistral Cross of the Sovereign

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

in 1958. He was recognized by his inclusion in the London Business Hall of Fame and a monument erected to honour

London's London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

51 most prominent people. The Grand Theater's McManus theater and Joe McManus Canoeing & Rowing facility both carry his name. McManus died on January 7, 1976, as the result of an automobile accident that occurred on December 12, 1975, which also claimed the life of his wife, Bessie.

References

* Emilie Smith, ''McManus'', London Free Press, April 15, 1976 * Frank Prothero,
Joe
', 1976

External links

McManus Companies website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McManus, H. J. 1907 births 1976 deaths Businesspeople from Ontario People from St. Thomas, Ontario Road incident deaths in Canada Accidental deaths in Ontario