Philanthropist
"George L. and Reva Graziadio spent the 59 years of their life together building one of the most dynamic names and reputations in philanthropy today. The Graziadio name is recognized far and wide for the generosity and warmth of spirit of the two people, who tirelessly worked together to promote the causes in which they believed and to celebrate the achievements of those they empowered through their gifts." (University of California Long Beach)
Reva Mikles Graziadio, long-time friend and benefactor of Pepperdine University, was born in Magazine, Arkansas on May 17, 1922. She moved to Los Angeles during World War II where she met her husband, George, an honest, hard-working entrepreneur with humble roots. They married in April 1943.
A salesman, George sold everything from insurance and TVs to cars and real estate. He made his wife and three children a big part of his entrepreneurial success, taking them on long Sunday drives, making it a game to write down phone numbers as they drove by properties that he would follow up on Monday morning. Despite his continuing success, the Graziadios lived in a modest home in Inglewood with two bedrooms and one bathroom. In the early 1950s, he began a lifelong business partnership with George Eltinge. Together, they invested in commercial real estate development, building over 100 retail centers along the West Coast, many of them for Kmart. Then in 1963, they co-founded a bank to help small and medium-sized businesses, starting in a trailer on the corner of Imperial Highway and Western Avenue in Inglewood.
George served as chairman, and CEO of Imperial Bancorp, which grew to become one of the largest financial institutions in California with $7.4 billion in assets. The bank financed four times the number of feature motion pictures than any bank in the world and provided the first financing for a web platform that later became known as Yahoo! After Imperial Bancorp was acquired in 2001 by Comerica Bank, George served as Chairman of Comerica Bank-California until his passing in 2002.
George and Reva shared their financial good fortune generously and wisely to help others. At California State University Long Beach, the couple established the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. Reva and George were also substantial contributors to numerous other regional and national organizations, including Torrance Memorial Medical Center Health Foundation where they underwrote the George and Reva Graziadio Radiology Center; Mountain Communities Hospital in Lake Arrowhead; the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation; Chapman University; UCLA; the Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation and the YMCA, among others.
In April 2002, just prior to his passing, Reva and George celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary receiving the “Humanitarians of the Year Award” from the House Ear Institute.
DEATH
She lived 87 years and passed away at her home in Rolling Hills on January 8, 2010, leaving the world a better place as a result of her generosity. She was survived by daughters Mary Lou and Alida; son G. Louis Graziadio III; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Note
Aan obituary was published in The Malibu Times, Malibu, California, on January 20, 2010; and in the Orange County Register on January 13, 2010.
"George L. and Reva Graziadio spent the 59 years of their life together building one of the most dynamic names and reputations in philanthropy today. The Graziadio name is recognized far and wide for the generosity and warmth of spirit of the two people, who tirelessly worked together to promote the causes in which they believed and to celebrate the achievements of those they empowered through their gifts." (University of California Long Beach)
Reva Mikles Graziadio, long-time friend and benefactor of Pepperdine University, was born in Magazine, Arkansas on May 17, 1922. She moved to Los Angeles during World War II where she met her husband, George, an honest, hard-working entrepreneur with humble roots. They married in April 1943.
A salesman, George sold everything from insurance and TVs to cars and real estate. He made his wife and three children a big part of his entrepreneurial success, taking them on long Sunday drives, making it a game to write down phone numbers as they drove by properties that he would follow up on Monday morning. Despite his continuing success, the Graziadios lived in a modest home in Inglewood with two bedrooms and one bathroom. In the early 1950s, he began a lifelong business partnership with George Eltinge. Together, they invested in commercial real estate development, building over 100 retail centers along the West Coast, many of them for Kmart. Then in 1963, they co-founded a bank to help small and medium-sized businesses, starting in a trailer on the corner of Imperial Highway and Western Avenue in Inglewood.
George served as chairman, and CEO of Imperial Bancorp, which grew to become one of the largest financial institutions in California with $7.4 billion in assets. The bank financed four times the number of feature motion pictures than any bank in the world and provided the first financing for a web platform that later became known as Yahoo! After Imperial Bancorp was acquired in 2001 by Comerica Bank, George served as Chairman of Comerica Bank-California until his passing in 2002.
George and Reva shared their financial good fortune generously and wisely to help others. At California State University Long Beach, the couple established the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. Reva and George were also substantial contributors to numerous other regional and national organizations, including Torrance Memorial Medical Center Health Foundation where they underwrote the George and Reva Graziadio Radiology Center; Mountain Communities Hospital in Lake Arrowhead; the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation; Chapman University; UCLA; the Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation and the YMCA, among others.
In April 2002, just prior to his passing, Reva and George celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary receiving the “Humanitarians of the Year Award” from the House Ear Institute.
DEATH
She lived 87 years and passed away at her home in Rolling Hills on January 8, 2010, leaving the world a better place as a result of her generosity. She was survived by daughters Mary Lou and Alida; son G. Louis Graziadio III; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Note
Aan obituary was published in The Malibu Times, Malibu, California, on January 20, 2010; and in the Orange County Register on January 13, 2010.
Philanthropist
"George L. and Reva Graziadio spent the 59 years of their life together building one of the most dynamic names and reputations in philanthropy today. The Graziadio name is recognized far and wide for the generosity and warmth of spirit of the two people, who tirelessly worked together to promote the causes in which they believed and to celebrate the achievements of those they empowered through their gifts." (University of California Long Beach)
Reva Mikles Graziadio, long-time friend and benefactor of Pepperdine University, was born in Magazine, Arkansas on May 17, 1922. She moved to Los Angeles during World War II where she met her husband, George, an honest, hard-working entrepreneur with humble roots. They married in April 1943.
A salesman, George sold everything from insurance and TVs to cars and real estate. He made his wife and three children a big part of his entrepreneurial success, taking them on long Sunday drives, making it a game to write down phone numbers as they drove by properties that he would follow up on Monday morning. Despite his continuing success, the Graziadios lived in a modest home in Inglewood with two bedrooms and one bathroom. In the early 1950s, he began a lifelong business partnership with George Eltinge. Together, they invested in commercial real estate development, building over 100 retail centers along the West Coast, many of them for Kmart. Then in 1963, they co-founded a bank to help small and medium-sized businesses, starting in a trailer on the corner of Imperial Highway and Western Avenue in Inglewood.
George served as chairman, and CEO of Imperial Bancorp, which grew to become one of the largest financial institutions in California with $7.4 billion in assets. The bank financed four times the number of feature motion pictures than any bank in the world and provided the first financing for a web platform that later became known as Yahoo! After Imperial Bancorp was acquired in 2001 by Comerica Bank, George served as Chairman of Comerica Bank-California until his passing in 2002.
George and Reva shared their financial good fortune generously and wisely to help others. At California State University Long Beach, the couple established the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. Reva and George were also substantial contributors to numerous other regional and national organizations, including Torrance Memorial Medical Center Health Foundation where they underwrote the George and Reva Graziadio Radiology Center; Mountain Communities Hospital in Lake Arrowhead; the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation; Chapman University; UCLA; the Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation and the YMCA, among others.
In April 2002, just prior to his passing, Reva and George celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary receiving the “Humanitarians of the Year Award” from the House Ear Institute.
DEATH
She lived 87 years and passed away at her home in Rolling Hills on January 8, 2010, leaving the world a better place as a result of her generosity. She was survived by daughters Mary Lou and Alida; son G. Louis Graziadio III; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Note
Aan obituary was published in The Malibu Times, Malibu, California, on January 20, 2010; and in the Orange County Register on January 13, 2010.
"George L. and Reva Graziadio spent the 59 years of their life together building one of the most dynamic names and reputations in philanthropy today. The Graziadio name is recognized far and wide for the generosity and warmth of spirit of the two people, who tirelessly worked together to promote the causes in which they believed and to celebrate the achievements of those they empowered through their gifts." (University of California Long Beach)
Reva Mikles Graziadio, long-time friend and benefactor of Pepperdine University, was born in Magazine, Arkansas on May 17, 1922. She moved to Los Angeles during World War II where she met her husband, George, an honest, hard-working entrepreneur with humble roots. They married in April 1943.
A salesman, George sold everything from insurance and TVs to cars and real estate. He made his wife and three children a big part of his entrepreneurial success, taking them on long Sunday drives, making it a game to write down phone numbers as they drove by properties that he would follow up on Monday morning. Despite his continuing success, the Graziadios lived in a modest home in Inglewood with two bedrooms and one bathroom. In the early 1950s, he began a lifelong business partnership with George Eltinge. Together, they invested in commercial real estate development, building over 100 retail centers along the West Coast, many of them for Kmart. Then in 1963, they co-founded a bank to help small and medium-sized businesses, starting in a trailer on the corner of Imperial Highway and Western Avenue in Inglewood.
George served as chairman, and CEO of Imperial Bancorp, which grew to become one of the largest financial institutions in California with $7.4 billion in assets. The bank financed four times the number of feature motion pictures than any bank in the world and provided the first financing for a web platform that later became known as Yahoo! After Imperial Bancorp was acquired in 2001 by Comerica Bank, George served as Chairman of Comerica Bank-California until his passing in 2002.
George and Reva shared their financial good fortune generously and wisely to help others. At California State University Long Beach, the couple established the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. Reva and George were also substantial contributors to numerous other regional and national organizations, including Torrance Memorial Medical Center Health Foundation where they underwrote the George and Reva Graziadio Radiology Center; Mountain Communities Hospital in Lake Arrowhead; the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation; Chapman University; UCLA; the Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation and the YMCA, among others.
In April 2002, just prior to his passing, Reva and George celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary receiving the “Humanitarians of the Year Award” from the House Ear Institute.
DEATH
She lived 87 years and passed away at her home in Rolling Hills on January 8, 2010, leaving the world a better place as a result of her generosity. She was survived by daughters Mary Lou and Alida; son G. Louis Graziadio III; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Note
Aan obituary was published in The Malibu Times, Malibu, California, on January 20, 2010; and in the Orange County Register on January 13, 2010.
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