Poverty never prevented George Feldenkreis from taking an ingenious approach to a challenging task. Growing up poor in his native Cuba, he went to work at age 15 for a Zionist organization, tracking contributions alphabetically by donor and by address.
“If I made a mistake, I’d have to redo the entire list, looking up street numbers all over again,” Feldenkreis recalled in a July 2024 issue of MR magazine. So, he memorized the list—a process he regarded as “easier” than having to look up the information all over again. “To this day,” he said, “I still remember the names and addresses of the donors.”
That unique grit served Feldenkreis well, helping him to succeed as a student at the University of Havana’s law school and later as an entrepreneurial genius who launched everything from an automotive parts company to an iconic global fashion firm.
Feldenkreis, a longtime University of Miami trustee and benefactor who fled the repressive Castro regime and emigrated to Miami in 1961, started a number of successful businesses and became a respected citizen who supported several causes, passed away on Feb. 20.
He was 89.
“George lived life to the fullest,” said Manny Kadre, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. “We are fortunate that his definition of fullness always included service to others, tenacity, generosity, and optimism. Our students and the greater South Florida community will always be grateful for his example.”
Feldenkreis is best known as the founder and former CEO of the Miami-based apparel company Perry Ellis International.
In 1967, with his brother, Isaac, Feldenkreis founded Supreme International, which manufactured school uniforms and guayabera shirts. In 1993 he took the company public, and six years later he acquired the Perry Ellis menswear brand, changing its name to Perry Ellis International.
The company went private in 2018. Feldenkreis’ son, Oscar Feldenkreis, has served as its CEO since 2016.
Born in 1935 in Cuba to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Feldenkreis served as a University of Miami trustee for more than 20 years.
He donated $2 million to the University’s Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. The gift, which named the College of Arts and Sciences’ Judaic Studies Program in his honor, has enabled the program to invite distinguished visiting scholars and guest lecturers to campus and supported enrichment programs aimed at both students and the public.
“For our Jewish students, the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies nurtures their thirst for knowledge that so often accompanies a new connection with spiritual values,” then-University President Donna E. Shalala said at the 2005 dedication ceremony that honored Feldenkreis for his gift.
“The College of Arts and Sciences is deeply saddened to hear the news of George Feldenkreis’ passing,” said Dean Leonidas Bachas. “With his generosity and passion for education, George had a tremendous impact on the college, especially our esteemed Program in Judaic Studies.”
Feldenkreis’ impact in the community was just as impactful.
“George did things the right way, and his generosity was substantial,” Kadre said. “George and his beloved wife, Mariita, have spent a lifetime contributing to numerous causes in the spheres of education, human services, and Jewish community life.”
Feldenkreis’ generosity and philosophy in life were born from lessons he learned from a former boss, a German Holocaust survivor. “I learned from him that when you approach a task, the only way to do it is the right way: don’t even think about shortcuts,” Feldenkreis said in that July 2024 MR magazine story. “I also learned that if you have money, the best thing you can do with it is give it away to those in need. You can’t take money with you, but you can use it to improve lives.”
Feldenkreis served as a board member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation for more than 40 years. “He was extremely proud of his Jewish faith and was an avid champion and humanitarian to the State of Israel and its people,” reads his obituary, published on Legacy.com.
He received countless professional honors from the fashion industry, with the American Apparel and Footwear Association recognizing him as Man of the Year during its 2007 American Image Awards. Feldenkreis also received the Father of the Year Award from the Father’s Day Council and a recent Lifetime Achievement Award from MR Magazine.
Feldenkreis is survived by his wife, Mariita, and his children, Oscar and Fanny.
