Ullis Annenberg Passed Away, Philanthropist and Cultural Patron

• Ullis Annenberg passed away at home from cancer, according to family.
• Over the course of 16 years, she funded $1.5 billion in donations.
• Her name will be associated with numerous institutions in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ullis Annenberg, a billionaire and philanthropist who supported the arts, science, education, and animal welfare in Los Angeles, passed away on Monday. She was 86 years old.

Annenberg passed away at home from complications related to cancer, her family reported. "Ullis peacefully transitioned into a new realm this morning," the statement said. "Cancer may have taken her body, but it could never break her spirit. We will always hold her in our hearts."

Her name is commemorated in many institutions in Los Angeles, including the Ullis Annenberg California Science Center, the Ullis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, and the Center for Performing Arts Ullis Annenberg.

Next year, the world’s largest animal shelter, Ullis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, will open over the freeway in Los Angeles.

For 16 years, she served as president and general director of the Annenberg Foundation, which provided nearly $1.5 billion in grants to organizations across Southern California.

Under Ullis Annenberg’s leadership, the foundation expanded its philanthropic activities across media, the arts, and education, including animal welfare, ecological protection, and health care.

Her father, Walter Annenberg, founded the foundation after selling his publishing empire in 1989. Walter Annenberg passed away in 2002.

Ullis Annenberg was a longtime board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and the Museum of Contemporary Art around Los Angeles. In 2002, she donated $10 million to support the position of director of LACMA.

"Ullis Annenberg enriched the life of Los Angeles not only through her philanthropy but also through her efforts to improve our community," said LACMA director Michael Govan.

Ullis Annenberg was born in Philadelphia, moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s after marrying the late neuro-surgeon Seton Weinbart. The couple divorced in 1975.

In 2022, she received the National Medal of Humanities from President Joe Biden for her work in philanthropy.

She is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

Tags: USA/Well-being/Culture