Deane Parkes exemplified leadership, friendship, wisdom, and kindness
By Bruce W. Cole
Industry icon Deane Parkes died of natural causes on June 10 at his home in Two Mile, BC. Since his passing, the outpouring of love and gratitude expressed for Deane has been overwhelming.
Over the past few months, I have heard from so many people who had a story or two to share about Deane. Even after more than 50 years as an active member of Canada’s natural health community, it’s remarkable to see how many people he knew and how he helped, coached, mentored, supported, and encouraged virtually all of them.
The journey began in 1972
Deane was introduced to the natural health industry in 1972, when he did a 52-week hatha yoga home course. At just 23, he took a gamble and bought a health food store in North Vancouver. “I had no business experience,” he once said, “but loved the people!” He later founded a small chain of vitamin discount stores between the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Then, he ventured into the vendor territory to learn about high-volume selling and merchandising. He first joined London Drugs as a floor supervisor before moving on to Nationwide as a field rep. He then had a lengthy and successful tenure at Flora as a field rep, Eastern sales manager, and national sales and marketing manager.
Eventually, retail called again. So, Deane left Flora and bought a health store in Creston, BC, with his family. At the same time, he began consulting for Greens+ (now Genuine Health) and Purity Life, eventually formally joining the latter for four years.
After a very brief stint in publishing, he went looking for his next venture. He called Roland Gahler, founder and owner of Natural Factors, whom he had known from his early vitamin store days. In that conversation, they planted the seed for Preferred Nutrition, which was born shortly thereafter.
Deane helmed the company for 14 years until it was acquired by Assured Natural Distribution in 2016. In his “retirement,” he still consulted and continued to write in CNHR, supporting retailers with advice.
Fittingly, Deane’s past few years had been spent working at his sister-in-law Rhonda Taylor’s health food store in Hazelton, BC. Not so long ago, he shared with me, “It’s funny … I started out working in a health food store, and 50 years later, I’m back working in a health food store.”
Talk about full circle.
“Willingness to embrace new ideas”
Roland Gahler, Natural Factors, is among the first health industry members to meet Deane, with their relationship going back to the early ‘70s. “I first met Deane when he and his partner, John, purchased Mountainside Vitamin Shop. At the time, I delivered their orders every Thursday in my 1967 Camaro, which Deane absolutely loved. His huge laugh and enthusiasm made every visit memorable.
“Back in the ‘70s, none of the health food stores I knew ever put supplements on sale. I remember talking to Deane about this novel idea, and after a few laughs, he agreed to give it a try. Deane took a case of each of the two sale products. At the time, I was also doing silk-screening, so I created a small poster for the store window to promote the sale.
“A week later, Deane had nearly sold the entire case of 24 bottles—something he never thought would happen. It was one of those moments that showed his willingness to embrace new ideas and his passion for serving his customers.”
“A relentless advocate”
Beth Potter, marketing manager at Community Natural Foods in Calgary, worked with Deane during his Purity Life and Greens+ days. “He loved doing business because he loved people. Customers weren’t transactions to him; they were relationships. He worked incredibly hard, but he also knew how to make work fun. Whether he was educating retailers, encouraging entrepreneurs, or bringing people together, he had a way of making everyone feel welcome and valued.
“No one fought harder for retailers. He was a relentless advocate, always willing to share his knowledge, offer advice, and help others succeed. He understood that our industry was built on more than products and sales. He constantly reminded us of what made natural health so special: the people behind it and the shared desire to help others get healthy and stay healthy.
“His influence can be seen in countless careers, businesses, and friendships. I know it can certainly be seen in mine. His encouragement changed the trajectory of my life, and I am only one of many who can say the same.
“While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate the legacy he leaves behind—a legacy of generosity, passion, hard work, laughter, and an unwavering belief in people. Our industry is better because he was part of it, and those of us fortunate enough to know him are better because of it too.
“Thank you, Deane, for believing in us, championing us, and reminding us of what truly matters.”
“Building something bigger together”
“Deane wasn’t just a leader in our industry; he made you feel like you were building something bigger together,” said Aaron Skelton, president and CEO of the CHFA.
“His passion for raising the bar on what organic and sustainable could be was contagious. We’ll miss his steady hand and his good humour, but most of all, we’ll miss the way he made us all want to do better, together.”
“He believed in people”
Deb Larocque, national sales manager at Assured Natural Distribution, worked with Deane for several years at Preferred Nutrition. “Deane Parkes was the kind of person whose presence immediately lifted those around him. His radiant smile, genuine warmth, and unwavering positivity made every conversation feel meaningful. He had a remarkable ability to make people laugh, to put others at ease, and to make each person feel valued and heard.
“One of Deane’s greatest gifts was mentorship. He generously shared his time, wisdom, and encouragement with countless individuals throughout his career. He believed in people, often seeing potential in them before they saw it in themselves. His guidance helped shape careers, businesses, and lives.
“On a personal level, I can say without hesitation that I would not be the person I am today without Deane’s influence. He taught me lessons that extended far beyond business. Through his example, he showed me the importance of humility, gratitude, kindness, and service to others. Those lessons have made me a better person and continue to guide me every day.
“Deane leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured by titles or achievements alone. His legacy lives in the people he mentored, the friendships he nurtured, the laughter he shared, and the stronger, more united industry he helped build.
“Thank you, Deane, for your leadership, your friendship, your wisdom, and your kindness. The lives you touched are better because of you, and your impact will continue to be felt for generations to come.
“May we carry your spirit forward and continue building the strong, united industry that you loved so deeply.
Lucky to call him a friend
Like so many people in our natural health community, I count myself as one of the lucky ones to have known Deane and call him a friend for almost three decades.
I was fortunate enough to travel with him for more than 20 years, visiting hundreds of health food stores from coast to coast. Many times, the visits were in conjunction with an in-store or evening training, just for the staff, focused only on business aspects of retailing.
Deane’s ideas helped guide CNHR’s editorial tone in the early days. His articles in CNHR—which began in 1997 and sadly conclude this issue with his final contribution, which you can read here—reached thousands of traditional natural health retailers six times a year for more than 25 years.
His influence on storeowners, managers, and staff is truly immeasurable. Over the past 50 years, few, if any, people visited more health food stores, or did more for our retail community than him. Through his articles, countless retailer trainings, and numerous store visits, Deane showed his willingness to show up to be there for our retail community.
Deane ended each of his articles with the phrase, “Happy Sales!” However, he often ended his personal emails, texts, and phone calls in a light-hearted manner with a phrase that I feel is the most appropriate way to end this celebration of Deane: “I bid you ... adieu.”
Adieu, Parkesey. And thank you!