Born in Croatia in 1929, Lou Lukenda moved to Sault Ste. Marie when he was 8-years-old.

It was a city he fell in love with and as he started his dentistry career, Lukenda made sure to give back to his community.

As he amassed his wealth, his generosity never stopped; giving away millions of dollars over the years.

“There isn't probably an area in Sault Ste. Marie that his finger prints aren't on,” George Shunock, a long-time friend and business partner.

“Whether it’s the hospital, whether it’s the Greyhounds, whether its Sault College, Algoma University, Lake Superior State College, so he has been all over the map.”

Lukenda passed away Thursday afternoon. He was 88.

“He was a leader in the community,” said Christian Provenzano, Sault mayor.

“He was a quiet man that supported the community in a number of different ways, and he was incredibly generous. He supported all kinds of projects in the community. He was frankly a lover of the community.”

“If you had a reasonable request, a reasonable cause, it was never, never turned down,” Shunock added.

Lukenda twice bought the Greyhounds with Shunock.

In a 2014 interview with CTV, he explained how a conversation with a former OHL general manager convinced him to buy the team again.

“He made a comment to me that has really stayed with me and has never been a minute away from my mind, and that was the fact that Cornwall was never the same city once they lost their Junior A franchise, and that isn't going to happen to our community,” Lukenda said.

One of the Sault’s most well-known hockey figures, Angelo Bumbacco, told CTV Lukenda is the reason the Greyhounds still call the Sault home.

“We ran into financial troubles and it sold, then it sold again, then in comes Dr. Lou and purchases a majority owner of the Soo Greyhounds and what it has meant, it has given the city of Sault Ste. Marie stability at last, we will always have a major junior team in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Bumbacco, during an interview in 2014.

“Dr. Lou entered the picture and says this time we're buying it and we're keeping the franchise in Sault Ste. Marie.”

For all of the good he did in the community, Lukenda's family said he was most proud of his seven children and 16 grandchildren.

Lukenda's son Tim told CTV the family plans to carry on their father's legecy and they will continue to keep the team in the Sault.

He added there will be a public visitation on Sunday from 4-9 p.m. at the Northwood Funeral Home.