Tributes have been paid following the death of Hilary Weston, the Dublin-born businesswoman who helped build Penneys and Brown Thomas. She was 83.
Ms Weston was married to the late Galen Weston for 55 years, and together they helped establish the two stores as high street mainstays.
A family statement described her as “a beloved wife, proud mother, cherished sister, adoring grandmother and loyal friend”.
It revealed that in keeping with her position as a former lieutenant governor of Ontario, Canada, a state funeral will be held in Toronto later in the year, followed by a memorial in the UK.
Mr Weston bought Brown Thomas in the 1980s and Ms Weston went on to serve as a director in the company.
She also played a prominent role in Penneys after the family purchased the department store from Todd Byrnes.
Born in Dún Laoghaire on January 12, 1942, Ms Weston worked as a fashion model at an early age to help support her widowed mother and four younger siblings.
She met Mr Weston in 1963 and they were married three years later. In 1972 they moved to Toronto.
Galen Weston and Hilary Weston in 2013. Picture: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Gucci
Over her career, she served as deputy chair of Holt Renfrew, a director of Brown Thomas & Co in Ireland, and a director of Selfridges Group in the UK.
Her son, Galen G Weston, paid tribute, saying: “Our mother lived with unwavering devotion to her family and a belief in the power and importance of community and service.
“Brilliant, brave, companionate, and beautiful, she brought a touch of magic to everything she did — in her decades of public service, philanthropy and her remarkable business career. Her greatest joy was the life she created for her family and friends — filled with warmth, love, and fun.”
Her daughter, Alannah Weston Cochrane, added: “Our mother’s elegance and high standards were matched by her warmth and sense of humour.
“She loved a challenge, and brought her innate creativity and style to everything she did. But it was her vision, coupled with her enormous capacity for hard work that made her a great female leader. Her insight, wisdom and strength as well as her belief in individuals made almost anything possible.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris offered his condolences to the Weston family.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Hilary Weston. Hillary was a very proud Irish-Canadian, who served both Ireland and Canada with distinction and generosity,” he said.
“In addition to her successful businesses and public service in Canada, through her leadership of the Ireland Funds Canada, she made a lasting contribution to Irish-Canadian relations.”
Donald McDonald, who is CEO of Brown Thomas Arnotts, said Ms Weston’s “vision and enduring support for Irish culture and Irish enterprise laid the foundations for the success we enjoy today”.