Milton Soldani Afonso died on Wednesday (2), in Rio de Janeiro, at age 103, businessman and philanthropist, founder of Golden Cross and one of the main people responsible for the expansion of the Seventh-day Adventist Church communication in Brazil. He had been hospitalized for a week in an intensive care unit (ICU) at Hospital Samaritano, in the city.
Born on December 12, 1921, in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Milton Soldani Afonso began working as a child to help his family. According to the Adventist Church, he sold sweets and, later, started selling books from Casa Publicadora Brasileira. At age 13, he moved to São Paulo to study at Colégio Adventista Brasileiro.
Graduated in Law, Milton Afonso became one of the pioneers of the health care market in Brazil by founding Golden Cross, a company that became a reference in the health insurance sector. In addition to his successful business career, he was recognized for his philanthropic work on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, contributing significantly to the expansion of the institution's communication in the country.
