Joshua Lapsker, founder of Starline Industries (asi/89213; U.S., asi/89320) in Vaughan, ON, passed away on Feb. 24. He was 79.

Joshua Lapsker, Starline Industries

Born in Russia, Lapsker immigrated to Israel as a boy with his family. At 12 years old, he would swim in nearby waters collecting timbers that had fallen off cargo ships and would sell them back on shore. Eventually, he settled in Montreal, Canada, with his family and would go on to forge a long career in promotional products. He began by designing and building equipment used to imprint pens and opened Starline Industries in 1969. He founded Starline USA in 1992 in Buffalo, NY.

During his time in promotional products, Lapsker filed more than 40 patents and even founded a printing company that specialized in advertising inside physicians’ prescription notepads using a process of his invention.

“Josh was an incredibly driven and focused entrepreneur,” says Brian Porter, Starline’s U.S.-based senior vice president of sales and marketing. “He took an opportunity with Starline to challenge the traditional way of thinking and helped to build, along with our amazing team, the company we are today. We’ll be forever grateful for his impact and look forward to carrying on that innovative spirit for decades to come.”

Lapsker is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His grandson, Mason Lapsker, will continue as Starline’s president of Canadian operations, a role he’s held since 2018.