LloydHodgkinson

Lloyd Morley HODGKINSON

Canadian Publishing Pioneer and Magazine Champion dies at 96

Lloyd Morley Hodgkinson passed away April 8, 2017, peacefully, at the age of 96 years. There are few men like him in this world, who not only have passion and wit but lived life always being a true gentleman.

Born December 1, 1920, in Toronto, Lloyd Morley Hodgkinson, the son of Violet and Allen Hodgkinson, was married to his love and confidante, Lucie Rita (Mimy) Hodgkinson (Pratt) for more than 67 years.

During his career, he published and founded many of the country’s most influential magazines including Chatelaine, Châtelaine, Miss Chatelaine/Flare, Saturday Night, Canadian Home Journal, Canadian Art, L’Actualité and the crown jewel, his pride and joy, Maclean’s, Canada’s first newsweekly magazine.

As a young man, he started publishing while in high school in Toronto, where he co-founded Canadian High News, selling to industrialist Jack Kent Cooke. In 1944, he transferred to Montreal, employed by the Business Publications Division of Maclean Hunter Publishing and then was recruited to Cooke’s Saturday Night Press. It was in Montreal, on a golf course, that he met his best friend, wife and devoted partner, Mimy. Returning to Toronto with their first born son, Robert Lloyd, in 1951, the family settled in Lorne Park in 1952 with the birth of their second son, Charles André, ultimately living there for the rest of his life. When Cooke sold Saturday Night and Canadian Home Journal in 1958 to Maclean Hunter, a condition of the purchase included Lloyd’s stewardship.

For more than forty years, Lloyd Hodgkinson transformed the face of Canadian publishing and influenced Canadian culture, being the propelling force behind the re-birth of Canada’s oldest periodical, Maclean’s Magazine. He revived and repositioned the magazine to become Canada’s most poignant, provocative and profitable news weekly, contracting a young maverick Peter C. Newman to be right by his side overseeing the editorial rebirth. He reached straight to the heart of Canadian politics and business, met the leaders, listened and told the stories through print.

In 1967, Lloyd received Canada’s Centennial Medal for Meritorious Service to the country during the Centennial year. Under his leadership, with his strong belief in editorial integrity and understanding the need for magazines to be an objective and representative voice for society, the Canadian magazine industry thrived and flourished in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. His ability to inspire both editorial and business colleagues and influence advertisers to believe in his vibrant vision of magazines led to a prosperous time for Maclean Hunter Consumer Publishing division ultimately becoming the coveted content jewel of the Maclean Hunter acquisition by Rogers in 1994.

During his tenure as head of the Magazine Publishing division of Maclean Hunter, he also championed women’s magazines: from Chatelaine with fabled Doris Anderson at the helm, to FLARE (formerly Miss Chatelaine), which he founded for the growing female workforce by appointing Donna Scott as publisher and Keitha Maclean as Editor. Many of the most accomplished and prolific journalists that Canada has produced got their start at one of Lloyd Hodgkinson’s re-invigorated magazines.

He was recognized by the publishing industry many times, as a recipient of the first Award of Merit from Magazines Canada (1981), the National Magazine Awards Foundation (1992) and the Association of Canadian Advertisers Gold Medal (1993).

Retiring as Group Vice President of Maclean Hunter Limited in November 1985, he respectfully resigned from the board of Maclean Hunter and all of his other volunteer organizations. Stating with inimitable clarity that having spent the past forty years devoted to his career, he wished to spend the next forty years devoted to his wife. For 31 of those years, he succeeded in doing just that, with grace.

Lloyd served as Director and Vice Chair of the Audit Bureau of Circulation International board of directors (1968 to 1985), Chairman of the Magazine Publishers Association of Canada, President of the Periodical Press Association, and numerous other communication industry associations. He also served as Director and President of the Mississauga Golf and Country Club from 1968 to 1974 where he golfed, curled and socialized with Mimy for over 50 years.

Community volunteerism was important to him, including serving as Chairman of Mississauga Hospital (now Trillium Hospital), board director of the Canadian Opera Company (1967 – 1985) and a lifetime member of Rotary.

Much loved and respected as a guiding light and father to sons Robert and Charles and their spouses Lori Kozub Hodgkinson and Shelley Black, he relished knowing that his grandchildren, Daniel Le Page, Julia, Lee (Tara) and Eve matured to become successful, contributing individuals.

Lloyd Hodgkinson was a man of integrity, tenacity and not without opinion. Overcoming many obstacles, he demonstrated throughout his life that it takes constant conscious effort and strong positive belief to find personal fulfillment and genuine success. He was a true Canadian nationalist; an admired and gifted gentleman and a good friend to many. His family will miss him greatly.