TORONTO – Gary Cote, senior vice-president of sales at Trispec Communications, passed away suddenly in Oakville, ON on July 5 at the age of 58.
Born in Montreal, Cote attended McGill University. After running the Quebec branch of U.S. firm Antec, he went on to become director of sales at AT&T before joining Montreal-based Trispec Communications in 1995.
Long-time colleague and Trispec president Nino Cesta remembered Cote as “soft spoken” and “quite the teddy bear” despite his imposing 6’3 frame.
“People would gravitate towards him”, he told Cartt.ca. “He garnered a lot of respect from his people by mentoring them, coaching them, and basically elevating the bar, but in his own way. He was not a bark and yell kind of guy. He had a very thoughtful approach and didn’t like to ruffle any feathers. He endeared himself to people – his employees, clients, vendors. You won’t find anyone out there that would have one mean thing to say about Gary.”
An internal memo to Trispec employees last week described Cote as a “pillar of this organization over the last 20 years” and his that his “immeasurable contribution… has helped us mold this company into what it is today”.
Cote is survived by his wife Linda, his daughter and three grandchildren. At the family’s request, a private visitation and memorial service will be held at a later date.
