Four Quebec-based foundations have announced they are recipients of bequests totaling C$140 million (more than $102.1 million) from entrepreneur Paul Durocher.

The posthumous gift is one of the largest ever made in Quebec and was a surprise for the recipients, which include the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul de Montréal and the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, St. Mary’s Hospital, and Montreal Heart Institute foundations. The funding will be used to bolster the missions of the individual organizations, including human services and healthcare research and innovation. Durocher, who worked in the hospitality industry, received care at St. Mary’s Hospital over the course of several years.

“He always knew that the impact of his actions could only be measured by how they benefited charitable organizations. For the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul de Montréal, this donation will greatly increase our ability to pursue and strengthen our mission in these difficult times,” said chair of the board of directors Pierre Pratte. “With high inflation, we’re seeing more and more young people and workers coming to us for food aid services. Thanks to Mr. Durocher, we’ll be able to boost our distribution capacities and meet the growing needs of our community. It’s a gesture that will have an immense positive effect on us.”

“Mr. Durocher was very involved in the community. For more than 20 years, he was part of a very active group of philanthropists who support the MHI Foundation,” said the foundation’s president, Alain Gignac. “Thanks in large part to people like him, we are able to improve the quality of life of patients with heart disease. His generosity, vision, and immense heart will live on through the four foundations he’s chosen to support posthumously.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/NicolasMcComber)