It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Harry Parnass on January 1st, 2021. He was an innovative and acclaimed architect, fashion designer, educator and entrepreneur.

Harry played a pivotal role in setting up the previous Sauvé Scholars Program. In 2003, he served as the Founding President of the Sauvé Scholars Program, and dedicated much of his time in to nurturing the beginnings of this international leadership program for remarkable young leaders. The Sauvé Scholars Program (2003-2013) evolved from the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation International Conferences for Young Leaders created in 1991 by the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé.

Harry was born in Germany and later lived in New York, L.A. and Montreal. After graduating from McGill University, he went on to pursue studies in architecture and urban design at Columbia and Harvard. He also taught design studios at McGill, the Technion Institute in Israel, and was a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the Université de Montréal. Harry was influential in changing urban designs and landscapes in many countries, including France and Israel. In Canada, he worked to revitalize waterfront areas across many cities.

Unsurprisingly, Harry was very involved in the re-design of the Jeanne Sauvé House located at 1514 Dr.Penfield, which served as the home of many cohorts of Sauvé Scholars, Fellows and Residents. He carefully redesigned the house to preserve its history while adding modern touches and designs for 14 bedrooms where the Scholars could live.  The beautiful interior intricate wood carvings and stained-glass windows are now juxtaposed with modern brick walls and open-window mezzanines. His contribution to the Sauvé House remains a lasting memory of his imprint and time at the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation. Moreover, his contribution to developing and leading the first cohort of Sauvé Scholars led to a rich and diverse program which many young international leaders from around the world participated in. Their continued leadership around the world is also a lasting legacy he leaves.

We express our deepest sympathies to all those who knew him and were close to him, and thank him for his lasting impact and influence.