Canadian Philanthropist And Arts Patron Bluma Appel Passes Away
Posted July 15, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
In the same week Toronto lost legendary Honest Ed Mirvish, another of the city’s notable philanthropists and arts patrons passed away.
Bluma Appel died shortly after 7pm Sunday at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital surrounded by her family. She was 86.
Appel was diagnosed with cancer about two months ago, and she and her husband had just celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary on July 11.
“She had not been ill for very long. It was very fast,” Appel’s daughter-in-law said. “It’s extraordinarily difficult. Bluma was larger than life. She’s a public person, as well, so she’s had enormous impact on that basis, but she’s also had enormous impact on our lives,” Gail Rose Appel said.
Born and raised in Montreal, Appel became a prominent member of the arts community in Toronto where a theatre has since been named after her.
Organizations like the Canadian Opera Company and Royal Ontario Museum benefited considerably from her efforts and her seemingly bottomless generosity also assisted emerging independent actors, comedians and musicians. Appel is also the founder of the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research and because of all of the above Appel was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1988 and later elevated to Officer in 2001. In 2005, she became one of only three people to be recognized with an honourary DORA award for her support of Canadian arts and culture.
Appel is survived by her husband Bram, her sons Mark and David, and her five grandchildren.
