In Memoriam: Robert John McIlwaine, The Original Man At The Helm Of Centennial

Across the Centennial Auto Group, from company presidents and managing partners and every member of our team, our hearts go out to the family of Robert John McIlwaine, who passed away on Sunday, August 1, 2021, in Charlottetown.

Robert was 95.

Robert McIlwaine was a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a loyal friend and a gifted mentor. Professionally, Robert was so many things: a house builder, a sawmill owner, and most definitely a gifted pilot. Many Islanders are not aware, however, that Robert McIlwaine was also a used car dealer. 

In fact, Robert was the original owner of Centennial Auto Sales.

In 1973, Prince Edward Island's 100th year as a Canadian province, Robert acquired a dealer license for a used car facility and collision centre in Enmore, Prince Edward Island. Needing a name for his dealer license, Robert asked his laywer what to call the new enterprise. "It's 1973," the lawyer said. "Why not Centennial?"

Decades later, the Centennial name is part of the fabric of Prince Edward Island's business community.

Robert was a busy man in the early 1970s. In fact, Robert always had a number if irons in the fire: flying, building, selling, and even preaching, too. But with so much going on, Robert decided to ease out of the car business in 1975. Robert soon began renting the Enmore facility to a young man from Ontario with whom he was acquainted through church: Ira Kember. A few months later, Robert helped to facilitate Ira's purchase of Centennial Auto Sales, which in 1979 transformed into Centennial Motors, owned by Ira and his brother Ezra.

Ira's downpayment for the business? He gave Robert a car. Robert McIlwaine loved cars, especially big, luxurious sedans. The kind of vehicles you might not see every day in PEI; the kind of vehicles that made you look twice. Robert's passion for cars ignited Centennial in 1973, carried on to the formation of the business we know today on South Drive in Summerside, and is as strong as ever in 2021.

Robert McIlwaine left his mark on PEI's car market and in so many other Island industries, as well. First and foremost, Robert was a devoted family man. Contribute your condolences and stories, and learn more about Robert McIlwaine, at the Belvedere Funeral Home's memorial page.