A tribute to philanthropist and sports entrepreneur George Gund III by Matthew Steeples
In my years visiting San Francisco, it was always a pleasure to meet one of the city’s great men, George Gund III.
An affable film buff and a former owner of the San Jose Sharks, Gund was best known for his bushy eyebrows and these resulted in his being known as “the highbrow with the eyebrow” in the circles in which he mixed.
The oldest of six children and born in 1937, Gund, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, “learned how much the family was worth only when his father passed away and left more than a half-billion dollars to the George Gund Foundation” in 1966. He put this money to great use and supported countless charities and organisations.
His son, George Gund IV, commented:
“He was busy and traveling up until three months ago. He never lost that wanderlust. As a dad, he always wanted to bring us these great experiences, but he also was an example of someone who was simply good to people.”
“There was a list put out recently of top 10 eyebrows, and he was on it. He used to tell us stories about traveling and people coming up to him from all cultures and saying that such thick eyebrows were a sign of good fortune and wisdom. He liked that.”
George Gund III died on 15th January 2013. He and his wonderful eyebrows will be greatly missed.
To learn more about the George Gund Foundation, go to: http://www.gundfdn.org/
