Sir Michael Aron Heller (15 July 1936 – 30 January 2023) was a British business executive and philanthropist.
Michael Heller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Aron Heller 15 July 1936 London, England |
| Died | 30 January 2023 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | British citizenship |
| Education | Harrogate Grammar School |
| Alma mater | St Catharine's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse | Morven Heller |
Early life
Michael Aron Heller was born in London on 15 July 1936,[1][2] and educated at the Harrogate Grammar School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.[3] He graduated from St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he received a Master of Arts degree in 1955.[3][4]
Business career
Heller served as the Chairman of Bisichi Mining.[3] He also served as the Chairman of London & Associated Properties.[3][5] Additionally, he served as the Chairman of Electronic Data Processing.[3]
Philanthropy
Heller co-founded the Michael & Morven Heller Charitable Foundation in 1988.[6] Thanks to a charitable gift they made to the Magen David Adom UK Friend Society in 2006, a Mobile Intensive Care Unit which drives pregnant women in Israel to the nearest hospital was named in their honour.[7] Eight years later, in 2008, as a result of another donation, an ambulance was also named in their honour.[7]
In 2010, they attended a fundraising dinner for the British ORT, a Jewish charity.[8]
They also contributed to the Hampstead Theatre and the London Jewish Cultural Centre.[9][10] They donated to the Save Van Dyck for the National Portrait Gallery to acquire Anthony van Dyck's self-portrait.[11]
Heller served as the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel.[12] By 2012, he had donated over GBP£100,000 to the Conservative Party.[12] In 2014, he attended a GBP£50,000 dinner with Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.[13] He also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies, a center-right think tank based in London.[3] He later served as a member of its Board.[14]
Heller was named a Fellow Commoner by his alma mater, St Catharine's College, in 2003.[4] He received an honorary degree from Sheffield Hallam University in 2010.[15]
Heller was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours "for charitable services".[12][16]
Personal life and death
Heller was married to Morven Livingstone, Lady Heller (b. 1940), daughter of Dr Julius Livingstone, a family doctor, and Pearl (née Levy). Morven was raised with her younger sister, human rights lawyer Frances Raday, in Manchester.[17] Together they resided in Hampstead, north London.[12]
Heller was a member of the Royal Automobile Club, a private members' club.[3] He also collected modern art.[3]
Heller died on 30 January 2023, at the age of 86.[18]