STORIES OF OUR FAMILIES
To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.
Joseph Louis St. Hill
1931-1992
Joseph Louis St. Hill was born on 4 April, 1931 to Henry Garnet St. Hill and his wife Esmee Ione D'Azevedo St. Hill nee Lobo. Like his four older siblings, Louis was born at the St. Hill family home, "Ypres", 1st Avenue, Belleville, Barbados. He was the youngest of five chidren. His siblings were, in chronogical order, Thelma, Clementine (Clem), Henry (Harry) and my mother Frances Elizabeth (Betty). Their ancestry was English on their father's side and Sephardic Portuguese on their mother's paternal side.
Louis grew up in Belleville, and, like his siblings, started his schooling at the Ursuline Convent, which was situated at the end of the 1st Avenue, within walking distance of his home. In those days, Belleville was a quiet, desirable neighbourhood in which to raise a family. Avenues 1 - 5 were private streets for residents. There were two tennis clubs and Louis learned to excel at the sport at the Summerhays club in 5th Avenue. He was a left-hander, and the picture below shows him in action at the Summerhays Club. He became became a champion and eventual winner of the Caribbean's prestigious Brandon Trophy for Barbados at a tournament held in Jamaica in 1966.
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In Memoriam
Louis St. Hill, CLU, CH.F.C.
Reflections of a Fine Gentleman and a Great Contributor
by Art Schooley, CLU, CFP Kitchener-Waterloo Resource Centre Manager
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Be a true gentleman
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Be client-oriented
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Have a sense of humour
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Put something back into the Industry
One of Manulife's finest gentlemen and a great contributor to the life insurance industry, Louis St. Hill, CLU, CH.F.C., of our Kitchener-Waterloo Resource Centre, passed away on May 29, 1992.
I've known Louis personally since 1974, the first year I arrived in Kitchener-Waterloo, and although we only had a formal business relationship since May of 1989, in my mind, Louis and I always had a great relationship until his death in May of this year.
Louis started his career with Dominion Life on January 1, 1962 in Jamaica, and soon became the country's leading producer, and President of Dominion Life's Production Club. Louis transferred to Hamilton in 1967, where he continued his association with Dominion Life. He subsequently moved to Kitchener-Waterloo, and became a founding partner of the firm Lackner McPhail St. Hill, which subsequently merged to become Lackner McLellan. Louis sold his interest in Lackner McLellan in 1989 when he joined the Kitchener-Waterloo Resource Centre in our Brampton sub office.
During my time associated with Louis, I learned four very important lessons from this outstanding individual.
A True Gentleman
Eugene Gallucci, CLU, CH.F.C., Advanced Marketing Manager in Kitchener-Waterloo, gave me a great example the other day on how Louis was such a true gentleman. Here is Eugene's story: "I fondly remember our first joint interview. We drove an hour to the clients office, and then spent an hour and a half with the clients doing some factfinding. We got back into Louis' car, and five minutes from the client's office was a coffee shop. Louis pulled into the coffee shop parking lot, and I asked him, 'Louis, do you feel the need for a coffee and a donut?', whereby Louis turned to me and said, 'No, my friend, but you haven't had a cigarette in almost three hours, and I am sure you need one now'."
Louis took on the responsibility of providing the best possible financial advice for each and every one of his clients, and always put clients first. If we were not handling a piece of his business properly, he would fight hard to make sure that the client was well look after. And this focus, if I am sure, what made him the success that he was in the life insurance industry.
When Louis realized that his illness was terminal, he was very concerned about who would take over his clientele. He and I discussed this issue, and Louis was very pleased when it was agreed that David Johnson, CLU, would take over the servicing of his clients. In spite of being seriously ill, I know that this was an integral part of Louis putting together his final affairs. I guess this type of attitude reflects why Louis was such a success.
Sense of Humour
Louis always had a little story to tell; a smile on his face; and a great sense of humour. This is, I think, what made him such a pleasure to do business with, both at the Resource Centre level and with his clients. Eugene gave another story, which I think typifies the sense of humour that Louis had in his day-to-day business activities. Here is Eugene's story: "On a joint interview occasion, Louis was to meet me in my office at 7:30 am. We were going to see a prospect concerning a substantial amount of life insurance. Like the rest of the world, I was a little nervous; flew into my office at 7:15 am. to make last minute preparations; and there was Louis, calmly working on the crossword puzzle. As I was frantically putting things into my briefcase; getting ready; checking the last minute items, Louis calmly turned to me and said, 'relax my friend - he [the prospect] will buy this morning.' So I naturally asked, 'now, how do you know that already?' And Louis calmly replied, 'because I finished the crossword, and I got it all right - it is going to be a good morning.' Needless to say, our friend, the prospect, did buy, and another relationship was started." Throughout the years I knew Louis, he was always very considerate to his co-workers, staff, and most importantly, to his clients.
Client-Oriented
When I attended Louis' funeral, I couldn't get over how many of the people in attendance where Louis' clients. I said to myself, "I wonder if these people were clients first and friends later or friends first and clients later?" It doesn't really matter, because I think what I learned from that day, and I guess what I've always understood, is that Louis treated each of his clients as a personal friend.
Put Something Back Into the Industry
Louis recognized that the life insurance industry had provided for him and his family an opportunity to grow, and to develop financial independence. Louis has four wonderful children, a very nice home, and his wife is financially independent. The life insurance industry had been very good to Louis over the years, and Louis' recognition of this was evident by his participation in the industry. Louis was formally the President of the Waterloo County Life Underwriters Association; President of the CLU Chapter and a former National Board Member of the Life Underwriters Association of Canada. On a personal note, Louis was responsible for my involvement in I.U.A.C. by recommending that I join the Board of Directors of the local Life Underwriters Association. Louis believed "as ye sow, so shall ye reap."