BURST
Fran Belzberg was a force of life.
She drew public acclaim for her philanthropic work with charities like the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. But her impact was just as profound on the people she met.
“She was just the most fun, open, warmest, most gorgeous of all the moms ever,” said her daughter Lisa Belzberg. “She had friends of absolutely every age, and lived life very, very fully to the last.”
Belzberg died July 25 at the age of 99. In remarkable shape until recently, she developed an illness that made it hard to eat and drink. She faced the end with grace.
“She said ‘I’m ready to go,’” said Lisa Belzberg. “‘I’m done. It was great. Thanks.’”
Fran Belzberg died eight years after the death of her husband, Vancouver business legend Sam Belzberg.
She was born Frances Cooper on July 10, 1927, in Los Angeles, the second daughter of a couple from Radom, Poland. Her family immigrated to Calgary in the 1920s, but her father had heart troubles and found it too cold, so they moved to L.A.
Her father died when she 17. Her mother purchased a couple of apartment blocks and Fran and her siblings looked after them.
She was physically active growing up.
“She played beach volleyball, and she was a great tennis player, a great skier, a really good golfer,” said her daughter.
She was also very attractive — there are some glamour photos from L.A. where she looks like a movie star.
Her life changed at 23, when her second cousin Sam Belzberg showed up from Edmonton. Sam’s dad was also from Radom, and had once been “sweethearts” with Fran’s mom. It didn’t work out, and they married other people.
But when Sam was set to drive to Los Angeles to deliver a car, his father contacted Fran’s mom.
He said “‘I’ve got a son who’s coming through L.A.,’” relates Lisa Belzberg.
“‘You’ve got a daughter that age. How about he comes over?’ So my father went over, and as my mom says, they both thought that was it — love at first sight.”
Lisa Belzberg said her parents only had one date in L.A. before Sam returned to Edmonton. But he proposed, and she accepted.
“Basically, their second date was their wedding,” she said.
That was 1950. She moved to Edmonton, where Sam had started his business empire with a used car lot. Fran became involved with Edmonton’s small Jewish community and their family grew to four kids.
In 1968, the family moved to the west coast.
“Sam said, ‘Do you want to move to Toronto or Vancouver?’ And she said, ‘Vancouver,’” said Lisa.
“Dad felt that Edmonton was too small for sort of what his ambitions were, and said, ‘Look, I travel a lot. You’re raising our kids. What do you prefer?’ She loved to ski. She knew that Grouse and Whistler were nearby.
“She knew the weather was more temperate, and she had cousins (here).”
Sam built a multi-billion-dollar empire through companies such as First City Financial Corp and Balfour Holdings, and Sam and Fran became deeply involved in the Jewish community and philanthropy.
Fran’s energy and lack of pretension endeared her to people.
“She didn’t go and say ‘I’m taking over Hadassah,’” said Lisa. “She said ‘Let’s lick envelopes. I’ll make food, and let’s have a party in my house.’”
When their daughter Sheri developed dystonia, a nervous system disorder, the Belzbergs founded the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. When Simon Fraser University wanted to start a downtown campus, Sam Belzberg led a fundraising campaign.
When their rabbi said he wanted to move to Los Angeles and educate people about the Holocaust, they provided $500,000 to kickstart the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Museum of Tolerance.
She was given the Order of Canada and the Order of B.C. for her philanthropic work.
She stayed physically active into her 90s, often doing Pilates. But there were limits to Fran Belzberg’s abilities: She never learned to ride a bike, or swim.
She is survived by her four children, Cheri, Marc, Wendy and Lisa, 25 grandchildren and 37 great-children.
