Chicago philanthropist Ann Lurie has passed away at the age of 79, Northwestern University confirmed on Monday.
Lurie, whose work with the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation provided hundreds of millions of dollars to various causes around the city and the country, passed away due to complications from a recent illness, the university said in a statement.
According to the foundation’s website, the Lurie family spearheaded a series of massive donations to various entities, most notably the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Ann Lurie worked as a pediatric intensive care nurse in Chicago prior to meeting her husband Robert in the 1970s, according to her biography on the foundation’s website.
Robert Lurie died in 1990 after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
After his death, Ann Lurie continued in her role as president of Lurie Investments and as president of the foundation that bears her name.
Northwestern officials say the Lurie Foundation donated more than $60 million to the school, while other significant donations were made to the University of Michigan and other institutions for a wide variety of medical and humanitarian programs.
The family also spearheaded an endowment to fund the Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park, and provided funding for the Harris Dance Theater in the park.
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Lurie is survived by her husband Mark Muheim, and her six children from her marriage to Robert Lurie.
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