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Philanthropist and founder of The Paradies Shops Dan Paradies |
USA. The Paradies Shops Founder Dan Paradies died on 29 April, aged 92, his family have announced
Paradies founded The Paradies Shops in 1960 when he opened a toys and gifts shop at Atlanta Municipal Airport, as it was then known. Today the airport retailer boasts 500 shops at 75 locations across North America, with more than 5,000 employees.
Following his retirement in 1994, Paradies devoted his life to philanthropic activities. He continued to lobby toy manufacturers to donate to the US Marines’ Toys for Tots Christmas Campaign, as he had done for several years. And he established the Daniel M. Paradies Foundation, which supports a host of cultural, educational, health and Jewish causes.
Paradies is survived by (among others) his brother James, sisters Doris Haber and Janice Paradies Shoob, sons Major Richard Paradies and Jed Paradies, his grandchildren Logan, Julia, Jacob, and Siena Paradies and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Paradies’s life is planned for Friday 2 May, 1.00pm at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue, Atlanta 30327. It will be followed by the burial at Arlington Memorial park, 201 Mt.Vernon Hwy, NW, Sandy Springs 30328.
Friends are invited to Paradies Hall at the Synagogue prior to the service to greet the family.
The family requests that instead of flowers, contributions be made to the William Breman Jewish Home, Attention: Development, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta 30327. Contributions may also be made to the “Billie Paradies Fund” at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue.
