Alvin Cramer Segal (September 19, 1933 – November 4, 2022), previously Alvin Cramer, was an American-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Peerless Clothing, a men's

suit A suit, lounge suit, or business suit is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt suit is similar, but with a matching skirt instead of tr ...

manufacturer.

Early and career

Born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, Alvin Cramer attended the Arnold Avenue School in Amsterdam, then School No. 16 in Albany, and next the Irving Prep School for Boys. He passed grades nine and ten at

Stanstead College Stanstead College is an English-language independent boarding school in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, for boys and girls in Grades 7 through 12. The school is located on a campus in Quebec's Eastern Townships – just north of the Canada–Unite ...

, then entered grade eleven at the

High School of Montreal The High School of Montreal was an English-language high school founded in 1843, serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the area eventually known as the Golden Square Mile. It was less formally known as Montreal High School and from 1853 to 1870 was ...

, where he was joined by his sisters Connie and Harriet. At that time, for family reasons his sisters changed their name from Cramer to Segal, but he continued to be known as Cramer until some years later. He did not graduate from high school, as he failed in French, which was a compulsory subject in Montreal. Going into business, he established the Peerless Clothing company.

Personal life and death

Segal died on November 4, 2022, at the age of 89.

Honours

In 2002, Segal was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

in recognition for being "a visionary entrepreneur" and an "outstanding spokesperson and leader for the apparel industry in Canada". In 2010, he was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada for having "set an example of corporate philanthropy". In 2011, he was made an Officer of the

National Order of Quebec The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as ''l'Ordre national du Québec'', and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is an order of merit in the Canadian province of Quebec. Instituted in 1984 when Lieutenant Gove ...

. He also received a Doctor Honoris Causa of Hebrew University (2015).

References

1933 births 2022 deaths American emigrants to Canada Businesspeople from Montreal Canadian philanthropists High School of Montreal alumni Officers of the Order of Canada Officers of the National Order of Quebec Stanstead College alumni category:Jewish American philanthropists category:Jewish Canadian philanthropists {{Quebec-bio-stub