Local Philanthropist Leslie Ridley-Tree Dies at 97

By the edhat staff

Santa Barbara philanthropist who donated millions to programs and organizations throughout the county, Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, has passed away at the age of 97.

She passed on Monday morning following a months-long illness, according to her parish, All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.

Ridley-Tree and her husband Paul moved to Santa Barbara in 1988 and favored local healthcare centers, schools, arts, nonprofit organizations as beneficiaries of their wealth.

Paul passed in 2006 and Leslie continued with her philanthropic nature, specifically to the Sansum Clinic venture that now bears her name, the Ridley Tree Cancer Center. She donated $10.7 million to the project.

Other organizations who received funding courtesy of the Ridley-Tree family are the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, UC Santa Barbara, Westmont College, Music Academy of the West, Casa Esperanza, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History,  Alzehimer’s Association, Santa Barbara City College, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics just to name a few.

Funeral services have yet to be announced.