Gerry Pencer

Gerald Norman Pencer (April 26, 1945 – February 3, 1998) was a Canadian philanthropist and business executive who helped the soft drink manufacturing company, Cott, become what it is today.

Pencer was born in Montreal, Quebec into a Jewish family. His parents met as students in Aberdeen school in Montreal and married very young. Gerald was born on April 26, 1945 at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. He and his family lived on a walk-up on Dolland Avenue out in Outremont. He grew up learning Judaism.

When Gerald went to school he was always told he was a very good listener and was a very bright and smart student. By grade 7, he never had to study for any of his tests because he had the ability to remember and to model what he learned in class.

When Gerry was separated from his best friend in Grade School they were desperate to talk to each other. Day by day, Gerry took a spoon and carved layers from the wall and eventually created a hole in the wall. It was a great success until he got caught. His father was furious and had to pay a fee to repair the wall. Let's just say, his dad never lived that one off.

As a boy, Gerald Pencer was not very fit. Growing up he ate 4–5 meals a day and a bunch of snacks in between. Since he always ate that much, he was nicknamed Round Little Gerry. He hated that nickname but liked and kept the name Gerry.

Gerry Pencer had a lot of perseverance. He believed it came from his mother. When his mother was 42, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Gerry's father was very supportive with her and was always taking her places. The doctor said that she would only survive about 4–5 years. She had a long struggle and managed to survive 17 years.

When Gerry was 44 he took over a business called Cott, at the time it was an unknown soft drink manufacturer. Now, it is the world's largest producer of retailer brand pop and it is worth over $1 billion. It's made a lot of people very rich. Gerry says, "Even if you've never heard of Cott, you have probably seen or tasted one of our products. But what Cott did was bigger than money, we grew very fast and made Coke, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi blink."

Gerry Pencer took Cott to its biggest high. He made it a fast selling company and helped it with its publicity and money making. Unfortunately, 8 years after Gerry took over Cott (1997), he was diagnosed with cancer. 1 year after that, Gerry died a slow death at his house with his wife Nancy Pencer, and his children.

Gerry will always be remembered for his great perseverance and for what he did to make Cott what it is today.

On May 23, 1997, Gerry Pencer was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, an advanced-stage extremely aggressive cancerous brain tumour. Thereafter he and his wife Nancy became significant philanthropists of brain tumor medicine and research, including founding The Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Trust, which seeks to a difference in the quality of life of those with brain tumors.

Gerry Pencer died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the age of 52. He was buried in the Holy Blossom Section of the Pardes Shalom Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario.

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