Paul Brett
(1932-2020)
born Vienna, Austria
died London, England
It is with great sadness that the Heart Cells Foundation Family lost one of its founder members in 2020. Paul and his wife Peggy have supported the Heart Cells Foundation from the beginning. Peggy continues to be a valuable member of the events committee, please find words below from Paul and Peggy’s son James.
My father Paul Brett passed away on October 24th 2020 at the age of 88.
Paul was man who seized life with both hands. As a child of the war, he felt he owed his life and good fortune to chance; and he rarely missed an opportunity to celebrate, whether at a family get-together or on a pair of skis down an unmarked mountain (often in a blizzard).
As much as he loved life, my father loved his family. His brothers, Ernest and Fred, were his closest friends and business partners. Growing up, all cousins were treated as equals, all good times were to be shared. In my father’s eyes, family always came first.
My father was in his early 30s when he fell in love with my mother Peggy. They married in 1966; and their shared backgrounds and identities created an impermeable bond. Together, they provided my brother Edward and I with the most loving of homes.
It was in business that my father showed the full range of his energy and ability. Despite leaving school at 16, he successfully built, led and sold two companies (both among the most successful of their kind in the UK). His leadership and management skills were unparalleled, as was the love and respect afforded him by his many employees.
Charitable giving was an important aspect of my father’s personal and professional life. He would give money, time or advice to any person or organisation who asked for help. Indeed, when my mother introduced him to the Heart Cells Foundation, he knew it to be an innovative and worthy cause – and went on to become a significant donor.
As I write this now and think of my father, I remember his kindness, modesty and patience, his eloquence and elegance, his sense of humour and generosity of spirit – and above all, his quiet, considered wisdom. It was an honour to be his son.
James Brett
1st September 2021