Newspaper Obituary for Harry Schur
THE BULAWAYO CHRONICLE 

Saturday, June 4, 1955

HARRY SCHUR, WHO HELPED THOUSANDS, IS DEAD

Mr Harry Schur died in the Bulawayo General hospital yesterday afternoon after a heart attack. He was 63 years old. Mr Schur came to Southern Rhodesia in 1912 as a penniless youth of 20. Although he was unable to write more than his signature he became one of the most successful business men the Colony has known. But it was because of his generosity that he was most admired. He was never interested in personal comforts, but gave away thousands of pounds to charities and to people – often strangers who were in financial difficulties. Mr. Donald Macintyre, the Federal Minister of Finance was associated with Mr Schur in business. Paying tribute to him last night, Mr. Macintyre said: ‘Every lame dog went to Harry for help. He must have helped more people in financial trouble than any other man in Rhodesia.’

HOTEL OWNER

He was generous indeed. There were many things he did that no person ever knew about. ‘As a business man he was one of the best earners of foreign currency in the country. He had branches of his hides and skins business all over Europe.’ Apart from this business, Mr. Schur was a company director, a livestock dealer and general speculator. He had interests in gold mining and owned the Grand Hotel, the Palace Hotel and other properties.

He was very interested in the welfare of the Africans. Every morning he collected a pile of small silver from the bank which he distributed among the blind and crippled Africans who gathered outside his office. He placed regular orders for large quantities of bread to give them. Mr. Schur built African clinics at Kezi and Lupani and he donated several thousand pounds to the new hospital at Lupani. He had plans for more clinics in Matabeleland.

# LUPANI HOSPITAL

Many tales have been told of Mr. Schur. One comes from Mr. Macintyre. ‘When I was Senior Trustee of the State Lotteries, I was asked if we could make a donation towards the new hospital being built at Lupani. I offered to donate on a pound for pound basis. ‘Next time I saw Harry I mentioned this to him. He had already donated several thousand to the hospital, but he sat down and immediately signed a cheque for another thousand. ‘The Government was also offering a pound for every pound, so Harry’s generosity really led to 4,000 pounds being collected’.

# NEVER MARRIED

Mr. Schur was born in Lithuania and he remained a bachelor all his life. He is survived by three brothers and a sister. Joe is a farmer and business man in Bulawayo. Isaac manages the Salisbury branch of the hides and skins business and Chiel is a doctor in Israel. Mrs Lena Minsker, is a widow living in Bulawayo. The funeral procession will leave the Jewish Parlour, Bulawayo, at noon tomorrow.