A leading communal figure died suddenly at his daughter's wedding on Monday evening.
Michael Rosen, 65, from Pinner, Middlesex, was celebrating the marriage of his daughter Lynne to Robert Dyan at the Grove Hotel in Watford, Hertfordshire, when he collapsed from a suspected heart attack.
One guest said: "He seemed 100 per cent fine. Everything was normal and we were returning to our tables after the Israeli dancing when he collapsed. You could see it was serious because the rabbis started praying."
Guests were ushered outside the ballroom and then eventually asked to go home at around 6pm.
The chupah ceremony, conducted by Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, had taken place in a sunken garden in the hotel grounds. After the reception, guests were called in for dinner and Mr Rosen is understood to have asked for a glass of water before collapsing. Several doctors among the guests tried in vain to revive him before an ambulance arrived.
He was a United Synagogue Council member and former chair of Pinner Synagogue, a post he held for six years. He was also a synagogue warden. After a career in the supermarket sector, he held a number of positions inside and outside the Jewish community. He was a member of the London Shechitah Board, an adviser to the Jewish Lads' & Girls' Brigade, and a governor of Middlesex University.
In 2005, Mr Rosen stood for the presidency of the US, against current president Simon Hochhauser. Mr Hochhauser said: "The whole of the United Synagogue family of communities is shocked to hear about Michael's tragic death.
"I and my colleagues were captivated by his passion for the Jewish community. His principled dedication to the values of democracy and transparency were unequalled.
"We send his family, together with his colleagues and friends in Pinner, our warmest condolences."
Pinner Synagogue's Rabbi Yaakov Grunwald officiated at Mr Rosen's funeral at Bushey Cemetery two days later. More than 400 people attended.
Mr Rosen is survived by his wife Sheila and their three children, Lynne, Rachel and Paul.
