| George William Vari | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 14, 1923 Hungary |
| Died | December 9, 2010 (aged 87) Toronto, Ontario |
George William Vari, PC, CM (August 14, 1923 – December 9, 2010)[1] was a Canadian based developer and philanthropist. A civil engineer and economist, Vari emigrated to Canada following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Vari made his fortune in international real estate development, building Paris' Tour Montparnasse, six of the pavilions at Expo 1967 in Montreal, and Moscow's Hotel Cosmos.[1]
He was renowned for his outstanding record in philanthropy, particularly in the field of educational institutions, making significant endowments to Ryerson University, York University and the University of Toronto. York's Vari Hall is named after him, as are various scholarships and awards at these institutions. Ryerson University renamed the Centre for Computing and Engineering (opened in 2004) to The George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre following a $5 million donation.
Vari and his wife operated the George and Helen Vari Foundation as a vehicle for much of their charitable works in Canada and internationally.
In 1992, Vari was named to the Security Intelligence Review Committee and, as a result, became a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada entitled to be addressed as "The Honourable". He was also named to the Order of Canada; both he and his wife have been appointed to France's Legion d'Honneur.