Enrique Feldman liked to entertain friends in his Pepsi Center suite, attend black-tie affairs and throw lavish dinner parties at his Cherry Creek home.

The Mexico City-born philanthropist also had a serious side and deployed his wealth to help educate children, his friends said.

Mr. Feldman, a colorful personality who spoke several languages, fervently supported the Colorado Avalanche and had works by Marc Chagall, Diego Rivera and other artists on his walls, died Aug. 10 in his native city. He was 70.

Mr. Feldman, finally overwhelmed by lung cancer, was formal and "old school" in one way, but also carried himself with "Latin flair," said friend Barry Curtiss-Lusher.

"He had this joie de vivre and at the same time applied himself" to sobering topics such as poverty and bigotry, he said.

Mr. Feldman's parents immigrated to Mexico City from Eastern Europe. After starting a new life, his father went on to become a successful and wealthy businessman working in the steel, banking and car sectors, at one point running Ford dealerships.

He was born on March 16, 1937.

As a privileged young man with a university degree, Mr. Feldman left Mexico to see the world and lived in Paris, New York and other cities before moving to Colorado more than two decades ago.

While continuing to travel the globe, he settled in Denver, where his children, Alan, Nathan and Sonia live, along with his ex-wife, Sharon Feldman. His mother, Aida Feldman, 86, still lives in Mexico. He also is survived by a sister, Sylvia Feldman.

Mr. Feldman was lucky, and he realized it, his friends said. Several years ago, he gave $1 million to the Denver Campus for Jewish Education, which combined the Theodor Herzl Jewish Day School and Rocky Mountain Hebrew Academy into a single campus.

Mr. Feldman, who was Jewish, donated money and time to groups of other faiths, too. In one example, he has helped the Denver Rescue Mission, which has a Christian focus and provides shelter, food and clothing to the needy, according to his friends.

"He believed one of his main purposes was to do things for people not as fortunate as he was," said David Fried, a local commercial real estate broker.

Mr. Feldman's family helped found the University of Haifa in Israel and financed scholarships and schools in Mexico, Israel and the U.S., said Alfredo Bernal, his business manager and longtime family friend.

Curtiss-Lusher knew Mr. Feldman through their affiliation with the Anti-Defamation League. "As a Jew, he saw some of the prejudice out there, and it really bothered him," he said. "Not only anti-Semitism, but other bigotry and prejudice. He felt it was the root of many evils in the world and needed to be challenged."

Fried last saw him a couple of months ago in Mexico City. Mr. Feldman was tired and ill but tried his best to take care of his guests.

"He took us on a boat ride through the canals of Mexico City and to all his favorite places," Fried said. "He was talking about the future. He was really optimistic and hoping to continue his life."

He was receiving treatment in Mexico City. His ailing mother was in the same hospital and is still there, Bernal said.

He was eager to return to his house in Denver.

People pulling up to Mr. Feldman's gated community knew they were in the right place when they saw a huge bronze statue of a Mexican woman dancing on his lawn.

Some of the work in his art collection will be given to museums.

"I don't think he wants to be remembered as a giver," Bernal said. "He wasn't looking for recognition. Instead, he'd like to be remembered as man who had a zest for living."

patonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2544