Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron

The Lord Gavron
Born 13 September 1930
Died 7 February 2015 (aged 84)
Title Baron Gavron of Highgate
Known for Publishing
Years active 1964 – 2015
Nationality British
Spouse(s) Hannah Fyvel (deceased)
Nicky Gavron (divorced)
Dr Kate Gavron
Issue Simon Gavron
Sarah Gavron
Rafi Gavron (grandson)

Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron, CBE, FRSL (13 September 1930 – 7 February 2015) was a British printing millionaire, philanthropist and a Labour Life Peer.

Life and career

Gavron was the son of Leah and Nathan Gavron.[1] He studied at Leighton Park School in Reading and St Peter's College, Oxford and became a barrister, called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1955. The same year he married his first wife, Hannah Fyvel, who died in 1965. He founded the St Ives Group in 1964, serving as Chairman 1964-93. He was the Director of Octopus Publishing between 1975–87 and Electra Management 1981-92; proprietor of the Carcanet Press from 1983; and the Chairman of the Folio Society since 1982, the National Gallery Co Ltd (formerly named National Gallery Publications) 1996-98, and the Guardian Media Group 1997-2000.

He was chairman of the Open College of the Arts 1991-96, a director of the Royal Opera House 1992-98, a trustee of the National Gallery 1994-2001, the Scott Trust 1997-2000, and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation 1987-2005. He was a governor of the London School of Economics since 1997 and chaired his own charitable trust. He was in 1996 elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[2]

Politics

Bob Gavron was active in the Labour Party and a financial contributor to the Labour Leader's Office Fund run by Lord Levy to finance Tony Blair's private office before the 1997 General Election. Appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1990 Birthday Honours,[3] Gavron received a life peerage as Baron Gavron, of Highgate in the Borough of Camden, on 6 August 1999.[4]

Family

Gavron's second wife, Nicky Gavron (née Coates), formerly a long-serving Local Authority Councillor, was elected to the London Assembly and was Deputy Mayor of London from 2004 to 2008. They divorced in 1987 and he married for the third time in 1989, to Katharine Gardiner (née Macnair).

Gavron's daughter is the film director Sarah Gavron, and his grandson is the actor Rafi Gavron.

Death

Gavron died of a heart attack on 7 February 2015.[5]

References

  1. ↑ http://thepeerage.com/p19130.htm#i191294
  2. ↑ "Royal Society of Literature All Fellows". Royal Society of Literature. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52713. p. 8. 16 June 1990.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 55586. p. 8907. 18 August 1999.
  5. ↑ Boffey, Daniel (7 February 2015). "Lord Gavron, former chair of the Guardian Media Group, dies aged 84". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2015.