The Billionaire Anonymous Angel
The beneficiaries of her well-focused philanthropy knew Margaret Anne Cargill as "the anonymous angel."
Anonymity was a condition of her giving, which amounted nationally to about $200 million and included several million dollars to such local causes as the San Diego Humane Society and St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral.
When Human Society president Dr. Mark Goldstein met her five years ago, she arrived in a van that was several years old. There were no outward signs of the enormous wealth she enjoyed as the heiress to the Minneapolis-based Cargill agribusiness empire, which her grandfather founded in 1865.
"You could never even imagine that she could afford the van," Goldstein said.
Over more than seven years, she contributed $6.2 million to the Humane Society, which in October 2003 opened its remodeled headquarters on Gaines Street in Mission Valley.
"I've been in this business 30 years and I never met a more compassionate, humble person of such great wealth who cared about people and animals – and cared nothing about being recognized for it," Goldstein said.
Miss Cargill, who was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 428th richest person in the world this year with a fortune of $1.8 billion, died yesterday in her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Sallie Gaines, spokeswoman for the trustees of Miss Cargill's estate.
Gaines said that Miss Cargill had agreed to make her gifts public upon her death.
Although she maintained additional homes in Borrego Springs and Idyllwild, Miss Cargill's primary residence for the past eight years was La Jolla.
"She did not live a lavish lifestyle," Gaines said. "She was very vivacious and outgoing among her friends. But one of the things she liked about California was that people didn't immediately recognize the Cargill name."
Her donations were personal – as in the case of a $50,000 check that marked the beginning of her relationship with St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral – or through a trust and foundation she created.
"Animal rights, Episcopal causes, the arts and disaster relief were her main philanthropic interests," Gaines said. "They had to demonstrate they were well-managed and that she would not be the sole support. From the early 1990s, philanthropy became the most important thing in her life. It was a very spiritual thing to her."
Her contributions sometimes included subtle reflections of her heritage. The Austen Stowell Animal Care Center at the Humane Society bears the first and middle names of her father. The community care center at St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services is named after her mother, Anne Ray.
To protect her anonymity, the family name Cargill was purposely left out but may be added, Gaines said.
Miss Cargill supported many programs at St. Paul's Cathedral and its affiliated senior homes and services, reflecting her early education at a private Episcopal school for women in Kenosha, Wis.
She focused her disaster-relief donations on the American Red Cross. After the San Diego chapter reorganized its disaster services department a few years ago, she was among the first donors.
"That was significant not just in dollar amounts, but to spur other giving," said Kathleen Loehr, interim senior vice president of development for the American Red Cross.
When the Salvation Army's Sierra Del Mar summer camp for children was severely damaged by wildfires in 2003, Miss Cargill helped fund reconstruction.
Two of Miss Cargill's favorite causes were the Nature Conservancy and Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. She attended the museum's grand opening in September 2004 in Washington, D.C., celebrating with friends who were unaware of her financial gifts.
Miss Cargill was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Los Angeles and spent many of her early years in the Midwest.
Her father, Austen, and brother, James, were senior executives of the Cargill business. Cargill, which operates on four continents, is the nation's largest privately held company with more than $60 billion in annual sales.
It is best known for producing and distributing crop nutrients and feed ingredients to farmers, livestock producers and animal feeders.
Miss Cargill attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., for a year and transferred to the University of Minnesota. She left school to move to New York, where she worked for a while as a manuscript editor.
Over the years, she cultivated an interest in folk art and enjoyed weaving and working with fabrics. She loved nature, camping and traveling in a recreational vehicle to scenic areas.
Friends called her feisty, independent and unpretentious. She never married and lived alone until needing a caregiver in recent years as her health declined.
Her closest companion was Kari, a poodle whose photograph is on a wall in the administrative office of the Humane Society. Kari preceded her in death.
Survivors include a niece, two nephews and numerous cousins.
Private services were scheduled in San Diego. Interment will be at St. Paul's Cathedral Columbarium.
~ By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 3, 2006
The beneficiaries of her well-focused philanthropy knew Margaret Anne Cargill as "the anonymous angel."
Anonymity was a condition of her giving, which amounted nationally to about $200 million and included several million dollars to such local causes as the San Diego Humane Society and St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral.
When Human Society president Dr. Mark Goldstein met her five years ago, she arrived in a van that was several years old. There were no outward signs of the enormous wealth she enjoyed as the heiress to the Minneapolis-based Cargill agribusiness empire, which her grandfather founded in 1865.
"You could never even imagine that she could afford the van," Goldstein said.
Over more than seven years, she contributed $6.2 million to the Humane Society, which in October 2003 opened its remodeled headquarters on Gaines Street in Mission Valley.
"I've been in this business 30 years and I never met a more compassionate, humble person of such great wealth who cared about people and animals – and cared nothing about being recognized for it," Goldstein said.
Miss Cargill, who was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 428th richest person in the world this year with a fortune of $1.8 billion, died yesterday in her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Sallie Gaines, spokeswoman for the trustees of Miss Cargill's estate.
Gaines said that Miss Cargill had agreed to make her gifts public upon her death.
Although she maintained additional homes in Borrego Springs and Idyllwild, Miss Cargill's primary residence for the past eight years was La Jolla.
"She did not live a lavish lifestyle," Gaines said. "She was very vivacious and outgoing among her friends. But one of the things she liked about California was that people didn't immediately recognize the Cargill name."
Her donations were personal – as in the case of a $50,000 check that marked the beginning of her relationship with St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral – or through a trust and foundation she created.
"Animal rights, Episcopal causes, the arts and disaster relief were her main philanthropic interests," Gaines said. "They had to demonstrate they were well-managed and that she would not be the sole support. From the early 1990s, philanthropy became the most important thing in her life. It was a very spiritual thing to her."
Her contributions sometimes included subtle reflections of her heritage. The Austen Stowell Animal Care Center at the Humane Society bears the first and middle names of her father. The community care center at St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services is named after her mother, Anne Ray.
To protect her anonymity, the family name Cargill was purposely left out but may be added, Gaines said.
Miss Cargill supported many programs at St. Paul's Cathedral and its affiliated senior homes and services, reflecting her early education at a private Episcopal school for women in Kenosha, Wis.
She focused her disaster-relief donations on the American Red Cross. After the San Diego chapter reorganized its disaster services department a few years ago, she was among the first donors.
"That was significant not just in dollar amounts, but to spur other giving," said Kathleen Loehr, interim senior vice president of development for the American Red Cross.
When the Salvation Army's Sierra Del Mar summer camp for children was severely damaged by wildfires in 2003, Miss Cargill helped fund reconstruction.
Two of Miss Cargill's favorite causes were the Nature Conservancy and Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. She attended the museum's grand opening in September 2004 in Washington, D.C., celebrating with friends who were unaware of her financial gifts.
Miss Cargill was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Los Angeles and spent many of her early years in the Midwest.
Her father, Austen, and brother, James, were senior executives of the Cargill business. Cargill, which operates on four continents, is the nation's largest privately held company with more than $60 billion in annual sales.
It is best known for producing and distributing crop nutrients and feed ingredients to farmers, livestock producers and animal feeders.
Miss Cargill attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., for a year and transferred to the University of Minnesota. She left school to move to New York, where she worked for a while as a manuscript editor.
Over the years, she cultivated an interest in folk art and enjoyed weaving and working with fabrics. She loved nature, camping and traveling in a recreational vehicle to scenic areas.
Friends called her feisty, independent and unpretentious. She never married and lived alone until needing a caregiver in recent years as her health declined.
Her closest companion was Kari, a poodle whose photograph is on a wall in the administrative office of the Humane Society. Kari preceded her in death.
Survivors include a niece, two nephews and numerous cousins.
Private services were scheduled in San Diego. Interment will be at St. Paul's Cathedral Columbarium.
~ By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 3, 2006
The Billionaire Anonymous Angel
The beneficiaries of her well-focused philanthropy knew Margaret Anne Cargill as "the anonymous angel."
Anonymity was a condition of her giving, which amounted nationally to about $200 million and included several million dollars to such local causes as the San Diego Humane Society and St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral.
When Human Society president Dr. Mark Goldstein met her five years ago, she arrived in a van that was several years old. There were no outward signs of the enormous wealth she enjoyed as the heiress to the Minneapolis-based Cargill agribusiness empire, which her grandfather founded in 1865.
"You could never even imagine that she could afford the van," Goldstein said.
Over more than seven years, she contributed $6.2 million to the Humane Society, which in October 2003 opened its remodeled headquarters on Gaines Street in Mission Valley.
"I've been in this business 30 years and I never met a more compassionate, humble person of such great wealth who cared about people and animals – and cared nothing about being recognized for it," Goldstein said.
Miss Cargill, who was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 428th richest person in the world this year with a fortune of $1.8 billion, died yesterday in her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Sallie Gaines, spokeswoman for the trustees of Miss Cargill's estate.
Gaines said that Miss Cargill had agreed to make her gifts public upon her death.
Although she maintained additional homes in Borrego Springs and Idyllwild, Miss Cargill's primary residence for the past eight years was La Jolla.
"She did not live a lavish lifestyle," Gaines said. "She was very vivacious and outgoing among her friends. But one of the things she liked about California was that people didn't immediately recognize the Cargill name."
Her donations were personal – as in the case of a $50,000 check that marked the beginning of her relationship with St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral – or through a trust and foundation she created.
"Animal rights, Episcopal causes, the arts and disaster relief were her main philanthropic interests," Gaines said. "They had to demonstrate they were well-managed and that she would not be the sole support. From the early 1990s, philanthropy became the most important thing in her life. It was a very spiritual thing to her."
Her contributions sometimes included subtle reflections of her heritage. The Austen Stowell Animal Care Center at the Humane Society bears the first and middle names of her father. The community care center at St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services is named after her mother, Anne Ray.
To protect her anonymity, the family name Cargill was purposely left out but may be added, Gaines said.
Miss Cargill supported many programs at St. Paul's Cathedral and its affiliated senior homes and services, reflecting her early education at a private Episcopal school for women in Kenosha, Wis.
She focused her disaster-relief donations on the American Red Cross. After the San Diego chapter reorganized its disaster services department a few years ago, she was among the first donors.
"That was significant not just in dollar amounts, but to spur other giving," said Kathleen Loehr, interim senior vice president of development for the American Red Cross.
When the Salvation Army's Sierra Del Mar summer camp for children was severely damaged by wildfires in 2003, Miss Cargill helped fund reconstruction.
Two of Miss Cargill's favorite causes were the Nature Conservancy and Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. She attended the museum's grand opening in September 2004 in Washington, D.C., celebrating with friends who were unaware of her financial gifts.
Miss Cargill was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Los Angeles and spent many of her early years in the Midwest.
Her father, Austen, and brother, James, were senior executives of the Cargill business. Cargill, which operates on four continents, is the nation's largest privately held company with more than $60 billion in annual sales.
It is best known for producing and distributing crop nutrients and feed ingredients to farmers, livestock producers and animal feeders.
Miss Cargill attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., for a year and transferred to the University of Minnesota. She left school to move to New York, where she worked for a while as a manuscript editor.
Over the years, she cultivated an interest in folk art and enjoyed weaving and working with fabrics. She loved nature, camping and traveling in a recreational vehicle to scenic areas.
Friends called her feisty, independent and unpretentious. She never married and lived alone until needing a caregiver in recent years as her health declined.
Her closest companion was Kari, a poodle whose photograph is on a wall in the administrative office of the Humane Society. Kari preceded her in death.
Survivors include a niece, two nephews and numerous cousins.
Private services were scheduled in San Diego. Interment will be at St. Paul's Cathedral Columbarium.
~ By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 3, 2006
The beneficiaries of her well-focused philanthropy knew Margaret Anne Cargill as "the anonymous angel."
Anonymity was a condition of her giving, which amounted nationally to about $200 million and included several million dollars to such local causes as the San Diego Humane Society and St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral.
When Human Society president Dr. Mark Goldstein met her five years ago, she arrived in a van that was several years old. There were no outward signs of the enormous wealth she enjoyed as the heiress to the Minneapolis-based Cargill agribusiness empire, which her grandfather founded in 1865.
"You could never even imagine that she could afford the van," Goldstein said.
Over more than seven years, she contributed $6.2 million to the Humane Society, which in October 2003 opened its remodeled headquarters on Gaines Street in Mission Valley.
"I've been in this business 30 years and I never met a more compassionate, humble person of such great wealth who cared about people and animals – and cared nothing about being recognized for it," Goldstein said.
Miss Cargill, who was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 428th richest person in the world this year with a fortune of $1.8 billion, died yesterday in her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Sallie Gaines, spokeswoman for the trustees of Miss Cargill's estate.
Gaines said that Miss Cargill had agreed to make her gifts public upon her death.
Although she maintained additional homes in Borrego Springs and Idyllwild, Miss Cargill's primary residence for the past eight years was La Jolla.
"She did not live a lavish lifestyle," Gaines said. "She was very vivacious and outgoing among her friends. But one of the things she liked about California was that people didn't immediately recognize the Cargill name."
Her donations were personal – as in the case of a $50,000 check that marked the beginning of her relationship with St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral – or through a trust and foundation she created.
"Animal rights, Episcopal causes, the arts and disaster relief were her main philanthropic interests," Gaines said. "They had to demonstrate they were well-managed and that she would not be the sole support. From the early 1990s, philanthropy became the most important thing in her life. It was a very spiritual thing to her."
Her contributions sometimes included subtle reflections of her heritage. The Austen Stowell Animal Care Center at the Humane Society bears the first and middle names of her father. The community care center at St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services is named after her mother, Anne Ray.
To protect her anonymity, the family name Cargill was purposely left out but may be added, Gaines said.
Miss Cargill supported many programs at St. Paul's Cathedral and its affiliated senior homes and services, reflecting her early education at a private Episcopal school for women in Kenosha, Wis.
She focused her disaster-relief donations on the American Red Cross. After the San Diego chapter reorganized its disaster services department a few years ago, she was among the first donors.
"That was significant not just in dollar amounts, but to spur other giving," said Kathleen Loehr, interim senior vice president of development for the American Red Cross.
When the Salvation Army's Sierra Del Mar summer camp for children was severely damaged by wildfires in 2003, Miss Cargill helped fund reconstruction.
Two of Miss Cargill's favorite causes were the Nature Conservancy and Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. She attended the museum's grand opening in September 2004 in Washington, D.C., celebrating with friends who were unaware of her financial gifts.
Miss Cargill was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Los Angeles and spent many of her early years in the Midwest.
Her father, Austen, and brother, James, were senior executives of the Cargill business. Cargill, which operates on four continents, is the nation's largest privately held company with more than $60 billion in annual sales.
It is best known for producing and distributing crop nutrients and feed ingredients to farmers, livestock producers and animal feeders.
Miss Cargill attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., for a year and transferred to the University of Minnesota. She left school to move to New York, where she worked for a while as a manuscript editor.
Over the years, she cultivated an interest in folk art and enjoyed weaving and working with fabrics. She loved nature, camping and traveling in a recreational vehicle to scenic areas.
Friends called her feisty, independent and unpretentious. She never married and lived alone until needing a caregiver in recent years as her health declined.
Her closest companion was Kari, a poodle whose photograph is on a wall in the administrative office of the Humane Society. Kari preceded her in death.
Survivors include a niece, two nephews and numerous cousins.
Private services were scheduled in San Diego. Interment will be at St. Paul's Cathedral Columbarium.
~ By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 3, 2006
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