Vancouver, BC – The automotive and roadside assistance community across Canada is in mourning following the sudden passing of Jamie Davis, the revered founder and CEO of Jamie Davis Towing & Storage Ltd. Davis, 68, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy that transformed a essential service into a standard-bearer for safety, integrity, and community partnership.
Davis was more than a businessman; he was an institution. Starting with a single truck in the early 1980s, he leveraged an unparalleled work ethic and a forward-thinking vision to build a multi-location operation that became synonymous with reliability. Industry insiders credit Davis with pioneering several now-standard safety protocols for heavy-duty recovery, emphasizing not just the protection of assets, but the wellbeing of his teams and stranded motorists.
“Jamie saw the industry not as it was, but as it should be,” said long-time operations manager, Sarah Chen. “He championed continuous training and invested in the latest technology when others hesitated. For him, excellence wasn’t a marketing slogan; it was a daily operational mandate. He didn’t just run a towing company; he professionalized it.”
His influence extended far beyond the business ledger. Davis was a cornerstone of his local community, known for his quiet philanthropy. His company was a steadfast sponsor of youth sports teams, food banks, and first responder appreciation events. He was also a dedicated mentor, actively creating pathways for apprentices and offering guidance to new entrepreneurs in the logistics and automotive sectors.
Perhaps his most profound impact, however, was on his employees. Many of his first hires remain with the company decades later, a testament to a culture of loyalty and mutual respect he fostered. He was known to personally respond to major incidents, not to oversee, but to support his crew with hands-on help.
“Jamie was the guy who would bring you a coffee at 2 AM on a highway call, not because he had to, but because he’d been there himself,” recounted veteran driver, Michael Torres. “He built a family here. He knew all our names, our kids’ names. That’s what we’ve lost.”
The helm of Jamie Davis Towing & Storage Ltd. will now pass to his daughter, Lauren Davis, who has been integral to the company’s leadership for the past decade. In a statement, she said, “My father’s life was built on two pillars: his family and his commitment to serving the community with dignity. Our focus now is to honor his memory by upholding the principles he lived by—excellence, safety, and treating every person we encounter with respect. The lights on our trucks will stay on, as a promise to him and to the people we serve.”
The company has established a memorial fund in Jamie Davis’s name, directing contributions to a trades scholarship for aspiring heavy-duty equipment technicians. A private funeral will be held for family, with a public celebration of life planned for industry colleagues and community members in the coming weeks.
Jamie Davis is survived by his wife of 45 years, Margaret, his children Lauren and James, and four grandchildren. The industry has lost a titan, but the standard he set—where service is an act of care—will remain his enduring imprint.