Hilary Weston, businesswoman behind Penneys and Brown Thomas, dies aged 83

Extra.ie​

12 hours ago

Hilary Weston, the Dublin-born businesswoman, philanthropist and lover of the arts – who helped build Brown Thomas as Ireland's most famous department store – has died aged 83.
The luxury store – along with Penneys – was part of her late husband Galen Weston's family multi-national retail empire.
Ms Weston died in London on Saturday, where she lived in recent years. It is understood her health deteriorated over the past week.
She was prominent in the early days of Penneys after the family business bought the ailing Todd Byrne's department store and established the budget fashion chain. The luxury store – along with Penneys – was part of her late husband Galen Weston's family multi-national retail empire. 27/2/1995. Photo: RollingNews.ie
She is said to have personally overseen the production of clothing for the in-house brand Primark, which would give its name to the wider chain outside Ireland, as the Penneys name had copyright issues outside Ireland with US department stores JC Penney.
She was later prominent in running Brown Thomas after her husband purchased the long-established retailer, buying one share in 1971 and then buying it outright in 1983.
She served as vice-chair of Holt Renfrew, the group's luxury retail chain in Canada. She held a variety of other positions in the wider family's interests, which included the conglomerate Associated British Foods, of which Penneys was a subsidiary; Fortnum & Mason; and Loblaws, the largest food retailer in Canada. She also oversaw a major property development in Florida.
Born Hilary Frayne, in Dún Laoghaire, south Co. Dublin, in 1942, she was the eldest of five children and attended renowned private girls' school Loreto Abbey, Dalkey.
She started to work as a model in the 1950s, working in Ireland and internationally. She met her future husband after he saw her on an advertising billboard and had auctioneer Corrie Buckley arrange an introduction.
Designer Sybil Connelly, a family friend, invited Hilary to tour the US with her to model her couture collection in the 1960s.
I was a sort of muse. In a way, at that time, one was representing Irish fashion,' Weston recalled a number of years ago. 'Sybil Connolly made these incredible dresses and ball gowns in fine, fine hand-pleated linen.
Everyone in America loved those things.' By 1965, the couple were engaged and on July 23, 1966, they married in England. UCD honorary degree for Brown Thomas owner Hilary Weston. Pic: Collins
Having initially settled at the Roundwood Park estate, in Co. Wicklow, the family moved to Toronto in 1971 and Ms Weston later became a Canadian citizen. In August 1983, the IRA attempted to kidnap Mr Weston at Roundwood but gardaí had apparently been tipped off.
The family was not there and two of the kidnappers were killed, while others were arrested during a gunfight with armed police. Mr Weston, who was born in England but raised in Canada, moved to Ireland in 1962 to establish Power supermarkets. He took over the Quinnsworth chain before selling it to Tesco in the 1990s.
Brown Thomas acquired the Switzer group of stores and then Arnotts, the Irish operation becoming part of the Selfridges group, which the family sold in 2021 – the year Mr Weston died – for more than €4billion.
Penneys now employs more than 80,000 staff across 17 countries and had sales of almost €11billion in 2024. The family's fortune is put at €20.43billion, according to latest the Sunday Times rich list.
Irish Ambassador to Canada John Concannon said: 'Hilary was a very proud Irish-Canadian, who served Ireland and Canada with distinction and generosity.
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.'
She is survived by the couple's two children, Alannah and Galen Jnr, who are involved in the family business. She will have a State funeral in Ontario, Canada.