Sonja Bata

Sonja I. Bata
Born Sonja Wettstein
(1926-11-08)8 November 1926
Zurich, Switzerland
Died 20 February 2018(2018-02-20) (aged 91)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Residence Toronto
Nationality Swiss
Other names Sonja Baťová
Education Architect
Occupation Businesswoman, philanthropist, collector and museum founder
Spouse(s) Thomas J. Bata
Relatives Tomáš Baťa (father-in-law)

Sonja I. Bata (or Sonja Baťová; née Wettstein) (November 8, 1926 – February 20, 2018) was a Swiss Canadian business woman, philanthropist, and museum founder,[1] who trained as an architect.[2][3]

Biography

After her marriage to Thomas J. Bata of Bata Shoes, she left her architecture studies, and moved to Toronto in 1946, befriending those in the architecture community: Raymond Moriyama designed the Bata Shoe Museum while John Cresswell Parkin designed the impressive Don Mills headquarters of Bata Shoes and the family's country house in Batawa.[4]

Though she had earlier envisioned herself to become a great architect, she set her designs on improving the Bata Shoe company.[5] Also in the 1940s, she began collecting shoes and studying their history. In 1979, she endowed the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation. The Bata Shoe Museum, established in 1995, is the world's largest shoe museum,[6] and the core collection is attributed to Bata.[7] She was the museum's chairperson.[8]

Bata was also the chair of the National Design Council (1970s).[9] She helped establish the Toronto French School, served as director the Art Gallery of Ontario, sat on the boards of Alcan and Canada Trustco (now TD Canada Trust), affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund,[10] and became an Honorary Captain in the RCN and sponsor of HMCS Ottawa.[1]

She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1983. She died at her home in Toronto on 20 February 2018, outliving her husband for nine years.

Personal life

She had four children.[11] Her father-in-law is Tomáš Baťa, the founder of Bata Shoes. [12]

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Rezac 2005, p. 139.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/sonja-bata-was-the-guiding-force-of-the-bata-shoe-enterprise/article38053718/
  4. ↑ LeBlanc, Dave (27 August 2009). "The Architourist - Before modern turned retro". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 132.
  6. ↑ DeMello 2009, p. 32.
  7. ↑ Grzeskowiak 2008, p. 48.
  8. ↑ Benstock & Ferriss 2001, p. 35.
  9. ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 138.
  10. ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 139.
  11. ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 134.
  12. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/sonja-bata-obit-1.4545860

Bibliography

  • Bata, Thomas John; Sinclair, Sonja (1990). Bata: Shoemaker to the World. Bata. ISBN 978-0-7737-2416-7.
  • Benstock, Shari; Ferriss, Suzanne (2001). Footnotes: On Shoes. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-2871-7.
  • DeMello, Margo (10 September 2009). Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-35715-2.
  • Grzeskowiak, Mark (16 April 2008). Toronto & Niagara Colourguide. Formac Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 978-0-88780-760-2.
  • Rezac, Darcy (2005). Work the Pond: Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life. Prentice Hall Press. ISBN 978-0-7352-0402-7.
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