Obituary: William "Bill" Davidson [86, Detroit Pistons owner, archaeology buff]

Israel National News ^ | Adar 21, 5769 / March 17, 2009 | Malkah Fleisher

[SunkenCiv]

William "Bill" Davidson, billionaire Jewish philanthropist, owner of the Detroit Pistons basketball team, and businessman, has passed away at the age of 86.

Davidson was a long-time lover of Israel and philanthropist who gave to the Jewish State. After the Yom Kippur war, he and fellow Detroit area philanthropist Dr. Lloyd J. Paul were flown to Israel by Prime Minister Golda Meir and given the Prime Minister's Club award for outstanding philanthropic deeds towards Israel.

In 2007, Davidson and his wife, Karen, gave $75 million to the Hadassah University Medical Center at Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. The gift is being used to built an in-patient wing at the hospital, and was given in honor of Davidson's mother -- the founder of the Detroit chapter of the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization -- Sarah Wetsman Davidson.

The Davidsons are also noted patrons of the Israel Antiquities Authority, particularly sponsoring digs around the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which have been named the "Davidson excavations" in tribute to the couple's generosity.

Davidson was the founder of the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, which the park's website calls "Israel's most important antiquity site." Stretching from the northern Temple Mount to the slope of the Mount of Olives and Kidron Valley on the east, and the Valley of Hinom on the west and south the area is an open museum and archaelogical park.

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!

[steelyourfaith]

Owner of Tampa Bay Lighting in 2004 when they won the Stanley Cup.

[Darren McCarty]

He has my respect. When he built the Palace, he did not ask for one cent from the taxpayers. He gives tons of money to charities, but he won't brag about it. He ran his businesses like a professional and treats his employees well. He also does not suffer fools and disloyalty to his team, which resulted in his firing of Larry Brown.

The State of Michigan, the sports community, and Israel all lost a good friend.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Yossarian]

The State of Michigan, the sports community, and Israel all lost a good friend.

Yup. RIP Mr. Davidson, you will be missed.

And yet William Clay Ford still motors on...

[truthguy]

I’m curious. How did Davidson make his money. Was he in any way part of the Auto Business- being from the Detroit area?

[FrdmLvr]

He owned Guardian Industries which supplied windshields and glass to the Big 3.

http://www.guardian.com/en/index1.html

[mouske]

His company, Guardian Industries, produced flat glass for architectural, automotive, and mirror manufacture. He was VERY strong anti-union. When his plants voted unions in, he refused to bargain and would close the union plants and transfer production to other plants. He sometimes would re-open the plants later without the unions. He certainly knew how to avoid losing to the unions.

He was a great business man and will be missed by his employees.

[grellis]

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the post; ping. Condolences to Mr. Davidson’s family and friends. R.I.P. sir.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

He ran his businesses like a professional

Well, except for that little patent infringement thing he lost to Corning Glass.

[SunkenCiv]

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