Murray Frum (September 3, 1931 – May 28, 2013) was a Canadian real estate developer and philanthropist.
Murray Frum | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 3, 1931 |
| Died | May 28, 2013 (aged 81) |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Dentist, real estate developer, philanthropist |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 3, including David and Linda Frum |
| Family | Howard Sokolowski (son-in-law) |
Biography edit
Frum was born to a Jewish family on September 3, 1931, the only child of Saul and Rivka Frum, who had emigrated from Poland the year before.[1] Most of their family who stayed in Poland were murdered in the Holocaust.[1] His parents operated a grocery store in Toronto.[2][3] Frum attended the King Edward elementary school and in 1950, graduated from the Harbord Collegiate Institute.[1] In 1956, he graduated with a degree in dentistry from the University of Toronto.[2] In 1970 he left dentistry to become a real estate developer[2] (the Frum Development Group) and made his fortune developing suburban strip malls.[1]
Frum was a collector of African art and donated over 80 pieces to the Art Gallery of Ontario, one of the largest in North America; and along with his son-in-law, Howard Sokolowski, built the gallery in which the collection is housed.[2] He later expanded into Renaissance art.[2] In 2007, he donated Bernini's 17th-century bronze of the crucifixion to the Art Gallery of Ontario which he bought while its origin was uncertain (it was later appraised at $50 million).[2][1] Frum served on the boards of the Stratford Festival, the Canadian Centre for Advanced Film Study, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.[2]
Personal life edit
Frum married twice. In 1957, he married 19-year-old Barbara Rosberg[3] who would later become a CBC broadcaster; she died of leukemia in 1992.[2][4] The couple had three children: David Frum, a journalist and a former speechwriter for U.S. president George W. Bush; Linda Frum, a Canadian senator who is married to Howard Sokolowski; and Matthew Frum.[2]
His second marriage was to Nancy Lockhart.[2] He died on May 28, 2013, at his home in Toronto of lung cancer despite being a non-smoker.[2][1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Martin, Sandra (May 31, 2013). "Murray Frum: A passionate, disciplined art collector who gave back to the cultural community". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Winsa, Patty (May 28, 2013). "Murray Frum, developer and philanthropist, died Monday at age 81". Toronto Star .
- ^ a b "Toronto mourns passing of Murray Frum". CBC News. May 28, 2013.
- ^ Brown, Michael (March 1, 2009). "Barbara Frum". Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved September 29, 2011.