Denis Adam

Denis Adam
CNZM OBE
Born
Dieter Frederick Adam

(1924-02-01)1 February 1924
Berlin, Germany
Died17 October 2018(2018-10-17) (aged 94)
Wellington, New Zealand
OccupationBusinessman
Known forPhilanthropy
Spouse
Verna Finlayson
​
(m. 1953)​
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1944–1946
UnitNo. 183 Squadron
Battles / warsSecond World War

Denis Frederick Adam CNZM OBE (born Dieter Frederick Adam; 1 February 1924 – 17 October 2018)[1] was a New Zealand businessman and patron of the arts.

Born in Berlin, he relocated to England with his Jewish family at a young age soon after the Nazis came to power, and together with his brother Ken Adam was one of very few German-born pilots to serve in the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War. After the end of the war, he migrated to New Zealand, where he established himself as a successful insurance broker and arts patron.

  1. ^ Manson, Bess (27 October 2018). "Philanthropist Denis Adam believed art 'nurtured the finer instincts of human beings'". Stuff. Retrieved 29 October 2018.