Portland Philanthropist Arlene Schnitzer Has Died

Arlene Schnitzer, for decades one of Portland's leading philanthropists, has died, her family says. She was 91 years old.

Schnitzer had reportedly been battling an intestinal illness. According to WW's news partner KATU-TV, she was holding her son Jordan's hand when she died.

"I was so proud of her," he said. "[My parents] always talked about Portland as their village, and while they spent their time at other places, this was where their hearts were. This is where they rolled up their sleeves to build the community."

Schnitzer married her husband, Harold, in 1949, who went on to build his fortune in real estate. Over the decades, the two became known as significant patrons of the arts.

Harold Schnitzer died in 2011.

Along with the downtown concert hall that bears her name, Arlene Schnitzer made major donations to organizations like the Oregon Jewish Museum, Portland Japanese Garden and Oregon Symphony.

In January, Schnitzer donated $10 million to the Portland Art Museum, the single largest individual donation in the museum's history.