Former Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca’s brother killed in King Township crash

Thestar.com
June 26, 2018
Lisa Queen

The younger brother of former Ontario transportation minister Steven Del Duca and an international businessperson were the victims of a double fatal crash in King Township June 21, YorkRegion.com has learned.

Michael Del Duca and Konstantinos Kazinakis, an international investment strategist, were killed around the dinner hour after the Mercedes they were travelling north in on Mill Road, south of King Road, left the road for unknown reasons.

Former Ontario transportation minister Steven Del Duca’s younger brother, Michael Del Duca, a married father of two young sons, was killed in a single-vehicle crash in King Township on Thursday. 

The vehicle rolled over and struck trees.

“It’s a bit of a mystery as to how this vehicle left the roadway,” York Regional Police Duty Insp. Dave Mitchell said at the scene the following morning.

The area is a rural, heavily treed area of King. Mill Road is a winding, narrow road and parts of it are gravel.

Del Duca, 33, was married to his high school sweetheart, Amanda, and had two young sons, Benjamin and Alexander.

He was described in an online obituary as a man with “limitless energy” who was rarely content to sit still.

“Our hearts have been broken since we first learned of this horrific news, and we know that they will never completely heal,” it said.

“There are simply no words to adequately convey how much we loved Michael and how much anguish we feel. But we can all look back fondly and remember how blessed we were to have him in our lives.”

Del Duca was well-loved by his close family, the obituary said.

“He was incredibly loyal to family and friends and, in spite of his ability to occasionally frustrate those closest to him with opinions that he was never shy to share, Michael had a heart of pure gold.

“He was generous, fun and truly loved life and he made friends in every single room that he entered.

“He was a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. But he was more than that. He was decent through and through. And it will always be extraordinarily tough for those of us left behind who mourn his passing to believe that he is gone.”

In addition to his wife and children, Del Duca is survived by his parents, Benny and Margaret, siblings Lorraine, Mark and Steven, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

His visitation will take place at Vescio Funeral Home at 8101 Weston Rd., Woodbridge June 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. and June 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.

His funeral mass will take place June 28 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 100 Bainbridge Ave., Woodbridge.

In lieu of flowers, friends have set up a GoFundMe campaign to support his wife and children.

In an email, Kazinakis’s cousin in Greece, Maria Boumaki, called him “a very famous and skilful businessperson all around the world”.

Born in Germany on Aug. 31, 1972 of Greek parents, Kazinakis entered the business world at the age of 17, she said.

He was an international investment strategist and the president and chief operating officer of United Bunker Investors Corporation.

His wife and children, a seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son, live in Berlin and his extended family lives in Crete, Boumaki said.

“Konstantinos Kazinakis’ remarkable knowledge of the global trade market evolved from an insatiable interest in oil and shipping companies and how operating debt affected their business goals, procedures, and ultimately, their bottom line,” a company website said.

“By investing in corporations with high amounts of debt, then completely restructuring them, he found that revenue, and in turn profits had the capacity to rise by unprecedented amounts.”

Kazinakis lived in and managed his business out of Toronto, the website said.

“The renowned investor’s global experience, inspirational leadership, and sound judgment have led to lucrative opportunities for both his firm and its clients throughout fluctuating markets, resulting in United Bunkers Investors Corporation’s superlative reputation among the oil and petroleum industry,” it said.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage is asked to contact police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7704.