Jacqueline Desmarais
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born
September 20, 1928
Jacqueline Maranger
September 20, 1928
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
DiedMarch 3, 2018 (aged 89)
KnownforPhilanthropy
SpousePaul Desmarais (1953-2013; his death)
Jacqueline Desmarais | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jacqueline Maranger September 20, 1928 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | March 3, 2018 (aged 89) |
| Known for | Philanthropy |
| Spouse | Paul Desmarais (1953-2013; his death) |
| Children | 4, including Paul Jr. and André |
Jacqueline Desmarais, OC GOQ (September 20, 1928 – March 3, 2018) was a Canadian billionaire, and long-term supporter of music and opera.
Career
According to Forbes, Desmarais had a net worth of $4.2 billion in January 2015.[3]
She was a long-term supporter of music and opera in Canada, and head of the guild of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 1989 to 1999. In 1997, she created a foundation in her name to support young opera singers.[2]
Honours
- In 2011, Desmarais was awarded a Knight of the Legion of Honour from the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who called her "a great friend to France and a great lady of the arts".[2][4]
- In 2011, she received an honorary doctorate from the Université de Montréal's faculty of music.[5]
- In 2012, she was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec.[6]
- In 2013, Desmarais was named an officer of the Order of Canada.[2] In 2016, she was awarded a Companion of Quebec's Order of Arts and Letters.[5]
- In 2016, Montreal's Sainte-Justine Hospital christened the Jacqueline Desmarais Pavilion.[5]
