One of ULI’s longest-serving leaders, Harold G. Shipp, died September 7 following a brief illness. He was 88.

Shipp, chairman of Shipp Corporation Limited in Mississauga, Ontario, joined ULI in 1952; his first ULI meeting was a convening of the Community Builders Council in Kansas City, Mo.

For nearly 40 years, Shipp served on ULI product councils, most recently on the green flight of the Industrial Office Property Council. A ULI trustee from 1976 through 1988 and a longtime ULI Foundation Governor, Shipp was named an honorary member in 1996 and an emeritus member in 2000. He was a leading member of ULI Toronto.

Shipp Corporation, founded more than 90 years ago by Shipp’s father, Gordon S. Shipp, is a renowned development firm involved in building single-family homes, apartments and condominiums, shopping centers, office buildings, and industrial space, including major residential and commercial projects in Ontario. Harold joined the company in 1945 at age 19, building and selling three houses on his own to earn a profit of $1,500. The following year he became a full partner in G.S. Shipp & Son, and served at the company nearly 70 years.

In a 2006 interview with the ULI Toronto newsletter, Shipp reflected on the value of his ULI membership. “One of the biggest benefits of belonging to ULI is the long-standing business and personal friendships that develop through the sharing of information with your fellow members,” he said. “I have had a chance to learn the examples and criteria for the best in community planning, housing, shopping facilities or business parks. My membership over the years has extended my horizons more than any other organization.”

“Harold Shipp was a ULI stalwart,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “As a member for most of the organization’s history, he served as a link to ULI’s founding members, and an embodiment of the community building principles for which they stood.”

Shipp followed his father as chairman of the Toronto Home Builders Association and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. They were also both elected to the Canadian Home Builders’ Hall of Fame. In 2009, Shipp received the first Lifetime Business Achievement Award by the Mississauga Board of Trade.

He was also well known for his philanthropic efforts. After his wife, June, died following a stroke, Shipp donated $6 million in 2005 to the Trillium Health Centrein Mississauga capital campaign to help build the Harold G. Shipp & June C. Shipp Stroke Centre. He continued to donate to Trillium and other Mississauga hospitals, as well as serving on their boards.

Mississauga’s Ward 5 Councillor Bonnie Crombie reflected on Shipp’s contributions to community building in a statement to the Mississauga News. “Mr. Shipp was a senior statesman and an architect of our city – a true community builder,” she said. “His influence on Mississauga will be felt for generations to come.”