This award was the culmination of decades of consistent community giving and leadership. The Hogarth’s substantial record of charity includes a multitude of local and national organizations, such as the McMaster Children’s Hospital Hogarth Family & Pioneer Energy Ophthalmology Centre, Operation Yellow Ribbon, the United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton, the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, and the original seed donation to start the Burlington Community Foundation.

This legacy of impactful giving began in 1956, when Murray opened his first Pioneer Petroleums gas station. Through agile decision making and hard work Murray grew the business to over 140 gas stations across Ontario. Pioneer Pools, Pioneer Cleaners, and several Pop Shoppes were also part of a diverse group of business ventures that Murray added to the Pioneer repertoire over the course of his career. This entrepreneurial spirit was recognized by the City of Burlington in 2010, when Murray was inducted into the Burlington Business Hall of Fame and was also the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Murray is remembered as one of the city’s most generous philanthropists, and Diane and Murray’s five sons, Gregory, Geoffrey (Geoff), Timothy (Tim), Edgar, and Peter, have sustained their family’s philanthropic momentum. Geoff Hogarth, the current Director of Marketing at Pioneer Group LP, is a board member of the Burlington Museums Foundation and has served on the board of the Hamilton Community Foundation. Tim Hogarth, the President and CEO of the Pioneer Group Inc. and Director of QYOU Media Inc., was the recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2012, for his commitment to the Canadian Forces. He also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Burlington Foundation, the Canadian Special Operations Regiment Association, and the Merry Go Round Children’s Foundation.