Lorne Wallace, founder of Lone Wolf Technologies, has died
Wallace, who grew up in a real estate family, was proud to be involved in an industry that had such a profound impact on people's lives.
Lorne Wallace, founder and chairman emeritus of Lone Wolf Technologies, died Saturday, May 20, in a Toronto-area hospital. He was 61.
The son and grandson of real estate agents, Wallace began his career in 1984 as an accountant, working for Thorne, Ernst & Whinney, the largest chartered accounting firm in Canada at that time. But he soon turned his attention to the family business, bringing his accounting expertise to real estate.
Wallace founded Lone Wolf in 1989, helping grow it into a top accounting software package for brokerages and eventually expanding its services from back office tools to a full suite of services including lead generation, an electronic signature platform, marketing and more.
"I've been around the industry my whole life," Wallace told the Geek Estate blog in 2013. "Buying and selling real estate ranks up there high on the list of the most thrilling, nerve-wracking and exciting things in people's lives, and it's cool to be involved with it."
For over two decades, Wallace also operated a real estate brokerage accounting practice, working on mergers and acquisitions as well as year-end financial accounting and income tax preparation.
Diagnosed last year with myelofibrosis, a rare and aggressive form of leukemia, Wallace's family and friends launched an effort to raise awareness of the need for stem cell donations. They sponsored cheek-swabbing events at universities around Toronto, resulting in hundreds of students signing up to be potential donors.
Wallace recently received a stem cell transplant from his son, Gordon Wallace. Although the transplant was successful, while hospitalized, he developed fungal pneumonia and died, surrounded by family.
"I'd like to think I've led my life dedicated to being responsible for my actions and for how they affect the people around me," Wallace said in a company biography.
Wallace is survived by his wife, Kelli Todd-Wallace, five children, nine grandchildren, his parents and two sisters.
Services are pending.