Long Time Craft Beer Industry Fixture, Ian Day, Succumbs to Pancreatic Cancer
Most people in the beer industry knew Ian Day as the tireless engine behind North American Brewing Services (NABS), a company that specialized in used equipment for microbreweries. I’d known Ian for about 10 years and found him to be a man of sharp wit, boundless energy, and constant spontaneous humor. I never had a conversation with Ian that I didn’t walk away from smiling.
Ian, president of NABS, had a passion for the craft beer industry and had been brewing beer for decades. During his long career in craft beer he owned and operated York Towne U Brew in Toronto, Ontario, one of Canada’s first brew-on-premises operations, and Active Modular Brewing, a microbrewery. Ian was involved in the start up of many North American brew pubs and microbreweries. American Brewer Magazine once stated in an article entitled, “So You Want to Start Your Own Brewery, that Mr. Day… has enough imagination to construct a brewery that most any budget can afford”. Reading between the lines on that quote tells you a lot about what kind of guy Ian was; a jack-of-all-trades never-quit type of guy that so typifies the personalities that built the strong craft beer industry we have today.
A memorial service was held for Ian M. Day on September 11, 2010.
Ian is survived by his three children: Riley Day, Ivory Day and Sierra Day.
Donations in Ian’s name may be made to Kelowna Minor Hockey: 1420 Ellis Street, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 2A5 or the BC Cancer Agency – Pancreatic Cancer: 2-111, 675 West 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com
Operation of NABS is currently being handled by Allied Beverage Tanks, Inc., in Chicago, IL, a company that Ian co-founded with his partners Alan Dikty and Jim Krejcie. Contact info can be found at www.alliedbeveragetanks.com.
Contributed by;
Banjo Bandolas
Director, Real Beer Media