The philanthropist and businessperson Hilary Weston has died, according to Canadian media reports. She was 83.
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1942, Weston began her career as a fashion model to support her widowed mother and younger siblings. She moved to Toronto in 1971 and worked in the fashion industry for over two decades. She served simultaneously as deputy chair of Canadian department store chain Holt Renfrew, and as a director of Brown Thomas & Co. in Ireland. She was also a director of the London-based department store operator Selfridges and reportedly oversaw the production of clothing for Primark when the business was still known as Penneys, and helped established the budget fashion chain.
From 1997 to 2002, Weston served as the 26th lieutenant-governor of Ontario, during which time she focused on improving the status of women and spearheaded the most lucrative fundraising campaign in Canadian cultural history, raising over $250 million to support the Royal Ontario Museum.
Weston was married to real estate mogul W. Galen Weston, longtime chairman emeritus of George Weston Co., a Canadian food processing and distribution holding company, for 55 years until his death in 2021.
“Our mother lived with unwavering devotion to her family and a belief in the power and importance of community and service,” her son, Galen G. Weston, said in a statement. “Brilliant, brave, companionate, and beautiful, she brought a touch of magic to everything she did — in her decades of public service, philanthropy and her remarkable business career.”
Weston received several honours, including the Order of Ontario, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and honorary degrees from institutions including the University of Toronto and Trinity College, Dublin. In 2003, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada.