TORONTO — Wilfred Posluns, who died Aug. 15 at age 78, is remembered by family and friends as a true giant in the community.
He was co-founder in 1966, along with his brothers Irving and Jack, of Dylex Ltd., a $2-billion international retailing and manufacturing business, and was also managing director of Cedarpoint Investments and director of Wet Seal Inc.
His community involvement included being a member of the advisory council of United Israel Appeal and the board of governors of Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as serving Baycrest as treasurer, a member of its board of directors, and chair of its foundation.
He was also involved in such organizations as what is now UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, as well as Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation, the Jewish Camp Council, Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, United Way and Princess Margaret Hospital.
Through the Posluns Family Foundation, of which he was president, he distributed funds to such organizations as Baycrest, Princess Margaret Hospital, the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, Associated Hebrew Schools, B’nai Brith Canada and Beth Tzedec Foundation.
Born in Toronto in 1932 to Louis and Leah Posluns, he graduated with a commerce and finance degree from the University of Toronto and worked as a stockbroker before joining his family’s clothing manufacturing business in 1961.
Within five years, Dylex was formed, an aggregate of retail and manufacturing businesses that would become the largest specialty retail conglomerate in Canada, with more than 1,000 outlets – including the Tip Top Tailors and Fairweather clothing chains – and employing more than 10,000 people.
In his eulogy, Posluns’ son, David, said his father was not only imposing physically, “he was a giant in the community, a giant in the business world, and a giant influence on his wife, children, grandchildren, in-laws, brothers, nieces, nephews, friends and business associates.
“He was a man of principle, passion, deep-rooted values, clarity, predictability, vision, optimism and compassion. [These are] characteristics of a true leader, [and] not surprisingly, he was the leader in every undertaking he pursued.”
Posluns said his father was also a mentor and adviser to countless individuals. “He got involved when needed. He helped people resolve their disputes and manage their personal finances when they got into difficulty.”
He was dedicated to his family, Posluns said, and together with his wife of 57 years, Joyce, he dedicated himself “to providing a loving nurturing home and stable family environment.
“To anyone who interacted with him, they would say he was deeply family-oriented, a builder, a consensus-maker, a competitor, a romantic, a generous benefactor, a champion of the abused, and a strong supporter of the community and the State of Israel.”
He was also known to love his garden, cottage and action movies, David said.
In a statement after Posluns’ death, Mark Gryfe, president of Baycrest Foundation, noted that in recognition of Posluns’ longstanding commitment to Baycrest, he was named an honorary director of the centre and the foundation. At the 2010 annual general meeting this past June, Gryfe said, Baycrest presented the inaugural Wilfred Posluns Award for Foundation Leadership, “appropriately enough to his daughter, Lynn, in whose work at Baycrest he took so much pride.”
On a personal level, said Gryfe, “Wilfred was a mentor who guided me both professionally and personally. Tough on the outside, I got to know him as the big teddy bear he really was.
“[He] was responsible for bringing me to Baycrest, and until his final week was in constant contact, providing counsel and making sure all was good.”
Tommy Ehrlich, a business associate and close friend, said that although he was 26 years younger than Posluns, “I was involved with him for 30 years, and he was always there to provide advice.
“He had the uncanny ability to get to the heart of complex matters, and he was honorable and fair. He was a great role model both in business and in the community. He leaves a big, big hole.”
In addition to his wife, Joyce, and son David, Posluns is survived by his daughters Wendy and Lynn, daughter-in-law Felicia, and sons-in-law Lewis Mitz and Ken Crystal, as well as 14 grandchildren.
