The passing of a friend to the arts, Ed Mirvish

This morning I received the news that Edwin (Ed) Mirvish, Toronto businessman and supporter of the arts has died, some two weeks shy of his 93rd birthday.

For those who have visited Toronto anytime in the past fifty years, his store - Honest Ed's at Bloor and Bathurst Streets - boasted a huge light display outside and bargins inside.

For over twenty-five years I have had the pleasure of knowing his wife, Anne, as a sculptor. She would often attend the events of the American Medallic Sculpture Association in NYC, and on one trip to Toronto when I was an educational forum speaker at the Canadian Numismatic Assocaitions' Convention, she attended the talk, and then proceeded to invited me out for an evening which included dinner at one of the resturants in Mirvish Village, the evening performance at the Royal Alexandera Theater of Les Miserables and a back stage visit with the cast.

Several years later, I got to meet Ed and Anne again, when their son David (Mirvish Productions) brought the Buddy Holly Story musical to Broadway. An invite to the opening night party was a special memory of their generosity. On another occasion I got to see the Mikado, a production they were also involved in.

There are a bunch of continuing legacys I am sure, The CBC has a nice write-up as well as the NY Times, however the one mentioned in the Toronto Globe and Mail notice is The Ed Mirvish Educational Memorial Fund; c/o The Benjamin Foundation, 3429 Bathurst St. Toronto, ON M6A 2C3. It is a fund to support up and coming entrepreneurs.

George