Name Jack Rabinovitch | ||
Canadian philanthropist Jack Rabinovitch Died at 87 years old.
Jack Rabinovitch (24 June 1930 – 6 August 2017) OC, O.Ont was a Canadian philanthropist best known for founding the Giller Prize which is named after his late wife, Doris Giller, who was a literary columnist for the Toronto Star.
Rabinovitch was born and raised in Montreal to Isaac Rabinovitch and Fanny Shulman, then graduated from McGill University with a BA in English.
Rabinovitch was a reporter and speechwriter who later turned to business (working for Sam Steinberg of food retailer Steinbergs) and made his fortune in food retailing and real estate. He joined real estate developer Trizec Corporation in the 1970s and was an executive who helped develop six million square feet of hotel, commercial and retail space.
He was Maclean's magazine's man of the year in 1999 and was a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. Rabinovitch died on 6 August 2017, aged 87.
Rabinovitch and Giller moved to Toronto in 1985, where he remained until his death. He is survived by daughters Noni, Daphna and Elana from his marriage to Zipporah Dunsky (divorced 1971), and partner Judy Clarke.
