‘Extraordinary vision, passion and drive’: Robert K. Irving remembered at funeral in Sussex, N.B.

Friends, family and politicians attended Robert Irving’s funeral on Tuesday.

The funeral for Robert K. Irving took place in Sussex, N.B., Tuesday morning.

Irving died in Moncton last week after a battle with cancer with his wife and four children at his side.

He was a member of New Brunswick’s prominent Irving family and one of the chief executive officers at J.D. Irving. He was 71 years old.

The company previously announced in September 2025 that Robert Irving had undergone surgery for cancer in July 2025 and was undergoing treatment. It did not say what kind of cancer he had.

Irving was also the owner of the Moncton Wildcats hockey team and donated millions of dollars to the Moncton Hospital, as well as universities and foundations.

During the ceremony, Irving was remembered as a father, brother, an employer and member of the community.

“This is quite a sad day, really, for all of us,” said his older brother Jim at the service. “I know Rob would very much appreciate seeing all of you here today. We got many friends, many acquaintances, employees, and of course his famous Wildcats.”

Jim said he had an easy relationship with his brother, one where they could call each other with the ups and downs of life. He described his younger brother as passionate, competitive and very proud of his family.

“Having a laugh with Rob is one of the many things that I’ll miss about his company. You know I could not have wished for a better brother, and I’m grateful for the time we shared together,” Jim said.

Irving’s eldest daughter Megan said he was a natural father to daughters, as his first three children were girls.

“Our dad raised us to be strong and independent and to know that we belonged in any room,” she said.

One employee said he worked under Irving in Dieppe for the last four and a half years.

“Robert Irving was a man of extraordinary vision, passion, and drive. He believed in the success of the business, but more importantly he believed in people,” he said.

Irving’s funeral took place at Saunders Irving Chapel at 11 a.m. It was also livestreamed online. It was followed by a private burial in Bouctouche.

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