Winnifred Irving, the widow of billionaire New Brunswick industrialist K.C. Irving, has died. She was 101.

Irving Oil announced her passing late Friday.

"Mrs. Winnifred, as she was fondly called by many Irving Oil employees, is remembered for her kind heart and cheerful laugh," the notice states.

A private funeral service is planned.

​Winnifred (Jane Johnston) joined Irving Oil in 1955 and worked for K.C. (Kenneth Colin) as his executive assistant.

He married her in 1978, following the death of his first wife Harriet (MacNairn), the mother of his three sons — James (J.K.)., Arthur and the late John (Jack).

They lived in Bermuda and "always looked forward to returning to New Brunswick in the summer where they enjoyed trips to Bouctouche, Back Bay and to the forests," according to her obituary.

​Winnifred Irving was a trustee to the patriarch's vast oil and timber empire, which was worth an estimated $8 billion at the time of his death in Saint John in December 1992, at the age of 93.

K.C. Irving, who built the family dynasty from a car dealership and a sawmill, was once listed as Canada's richest man.

In 1971, he moved to Bermuda to avoid proposed death taxes and duties in New Brunswick, which were expected to be as high as 80 per cent. His residence there was key to the structure of his offshore trust after he died.

Throughout the years, she always maintained an interest in what was happening with the business and the people of Irving Oil. - Irving Oil statement

In 2009, Winnifred Irving and the other two trustees of K.C. Irving's will filed an application to a court in Bermuda. The file is sealed, but it's believed they sought to dissolve the trust established by K.C.'s will and to distribute its assets as part of the conglomerate breakup — a process that generated legal bills "in the region of $100-million," according to a subsequent court ruling.

Winnifred Irving continued to live in the Bermuda house, called Skyline Cottage, for years after her husband's death. His will required the trustees to live outside Canada.

It's not clear when she moved out of the three-bedroom home, but it was listed for sale last year at $1.9 million. It sits on two-thirds of a hectare of land.

'Long, distinguished career'

​Winnifred Irving was born on Sept. 3, 1916, in Back Bay, N.B., the only child of Thomas Robert and Martha May (McKay) Johnston.

She attended schools in Back Bay and St. George and business school in St. Stephen.

She worked in Charlotte County as an executive assistant at Welsh Sardine Company, the Bank of Nova Scotia and Connors Brothers.

She moved to Saint John in 1945 and worked with the law firm of Porter, Ritchie & Riley before joining Irving Oil, where she had " a long, distinguished career," the company notice states.

"Throughout the years, she always maintained an interest in what was happening with the business and the people of Irving Oil."

Winnifred Irving is survived by a large extended family.