The pursuit of riches and possessions is inexorably tied to the American dream, but what does it mean to be truly wealthy? Creating a legacy spanning generations seems to be a motivator for philanthropists.
The idea of being wealthy is likely to elicit a different vision and/or fantasy for everyone, however. Some may dream of time spent yachting with friends, lazy afternoons at a favorite spa, or what the clouds might look like from a private jet while on the way to a spontaneously chosen, far-flung destination.
Others may imagine a shiny new 'Lambo' in the driveway, a wall-size TV with speakers that rattle the walls, or freedom from the never-ending drudgery of cooking and cleaning. For people like the late Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, accumulating wealth meant having more opportunities to give back.
"I don't think of myself as a philanthropist. I think of myself as having the enormous privilege of sharing," she said, in an interview with Michelle Drown from 2018, posted on the Santa Barbara Independent website.
"Sometimes I get very emotional about it because…I wish I had more to give," said Ridley-Tree in the same interview.
A Legacy of Giving
Numerous organizations in the Santa Barbara, California area benefited from the generosity of Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree and her husband, who was actually the son of a lord. Though a full list of her contributions would be prohibitively long, each are worth mentioning. Ridley-Tree, who passed in 2022 at the age of 98, funded the creation of 33 nursing scholarships at Westmont College, 40 scholarships for young people with disabilities to attend the University of California Santa Barbara's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, and 30 scholarships for Santa Barbara Community College's Single Parents Arriving Ready for College program.
A former violinist and torch singer, Ridley-Tree established a vocal scholarship for students in the Westmont College Choir, and the Ridley-Tree Endowed Scholarship for students of the arts, music, philosophy and history. Her collection of notable artworks included 20 original works by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, the donation of which led to the founding of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art.
With a donation of nearly $11 million, Ridley-Tree helped Sansum Clinic of Santa Barbara establish the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center. She also donated significant funds to the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the United Way, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinic, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
A Boss Before It Was Cool
Ridley-Tree was a boss in a time when female executives were far from commonplace. Though she inherited her role as CEO of Pacific Air Industries with the passing of her husband in 2005, she earned her seat in the boardroom with over 13 years of effective leadership.
Pacific Air Industries is an aftermarket supplier of airplane parts that was founded in 1959 by Paul Ridley-Tree in his home in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles. His thinking was that airplane industry would always need nuts and bolts, however, major parts would only be a one-time purchase. The company serviced Air Force One in the past and maintains successful operations, with an inventory of over 400,000 parts. Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree led the company until she was at least 93 and commuted to the LA-based office from Santa Barbara three times per week.
She learned the ropes from listening to her husband on the phone and visiting the office with him periodically. It was difficult for her to get respect sometimes, however, and in the same interview Ridley-Tree said she would occasionally have to remind her employees that, "I'm the one who signs your check, you know."
At one point, Ridley-Tree asked her accountant if there was a way for her to make more money so she could give more away. "My taxes are taking too much this year," she said, "Isn't there a way I can find more money to give to this project that I want to give to?"
She Showed Up
Ridley-Tree also volunteered her effort and time. Along with providing monetary donations, she worked in the kitchen once a week at Casa Esperanza, a homeless shelter; she also prepared meals in the Ridley-Tree Animal Kitchen at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The Spirit of Entrepreneurship
Ridley-Tree was honored with the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Life Achievement Award in 2018. It is presented each year to a successful female entrepreneur who has made an "indelible impact" on the Santa Barbara community.
In an article from the Montecito Journal by James Buckley that was posted in 2022, Ridley-Tree said, "There's a big hole in the world and there are needs to be filled—whether it's in education or medicine or hunger—and you just have to share. It doesn't mean you have to give it all away and walk barefoot, but it does mean that you have to share; there's that need, and you can't look at it and walk by."
The Home She Left Behind
One of Ridley-Tree's former homes in Montecito, California was recently listed for $18.95 million by Nancy Kogevinas of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. The estate was built in 1921 and has more than 8,000 square feet of interior space.
It was renovated by Xorin Balbes, a celebrity designer who is also a noted philanthropist. One can guess that Lady Leslie would approve.
Read our full feature on the estate: Lady Leslie's Montecito Estate Now for Sale
Read more luxury real estate and Female Power Players profiles on The Pinnacle → thepinnacle.beehiiv.com
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