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Samuel Bronfman Dead; Funeral Tuesday for Canadian Industrialist, Philanthropist

July 12, 1971
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Funeral services will be held Tuesday for Samuel Bronfman, industrialist, philanthropist, member of the Company of Canada and head of the world’s largest distillery, who died of a heart attack at his Westmount home Saturday night. He was 30 years old. Born in Brandon, Manitoba, he entered the hotel business at the age of 21, In 1924 he organized his own distillery and in 1928 he acquired the Joseph Seagram distilleries with plants in Waterloo, Ontario and Lasalle, Quebec. He was president of Distillers Corp-Seagrams Ltd., Calvert Distillers Ltd., Thomas Adams Distillers Ltd., Seagram Overseas Corp. Ltd., Seco Investments Ltd. and the Globe Bedding Co. He was director of Joseph E. Seagrams and Sons Ltd. Bronfman was president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 1938-1962 and chairman of its Board of Governors from 1962 until his death. He was active in Jewish and Canadian communal work serving as honorary president of the Zionist Organization of Canada, the Jewish Community Services of Montreal and the Combined Jewish Appeal. He served as president of the United Jewish Relief Agencies, the Canada-Israel Corp., and the Canada-Israel Securities Ltd.

Mr. Bronfman was known throughout the world for his philanthropy and his interest in Israel. His body will lie in state at the headquarters of the CJC in Montreal Sunday and Monday.

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