August 1, 2006

Margaret Anne Cargill
Sept. 24, 1920 - August 1, 2006

On Tuesday, August 1, the San Diego community lost one of its most generous philanthropists. Margaret Anne Cargill died in her home from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She was known as the “anonymous angel” because anonymity was an absolute condition of her giving, which amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Miss Cargill agreed to make her gifts public upon her death. St. Paul’s has been a grateful beneficiary of her generosity for about 10 years. Many of the programs and projects that have become an essential part of our mission to the senior community of San Diego were initiated through the gifts of “the Anonymous Foundation”. Today we’re able to publicly recognize the incredible woman behind that Foundation.

We are indebted to Miss Cargill, the anonymous angel, who did not live a lavish lifestyle although she was the heiress to the Minneapolis-based Cargill agribusiness empire, which her grandfather founded in 1865. Those who knew her were impressed by her compassion and humility.
 
There is a passage in the Christian Scriptures that Miss Cargill lived religiously: “take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.

“When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Mt 6:1-4)

I would say that Margaret Anne Cargill is now being repaid by the Father who has seen in secret the generosity of such an anonymous angel. May she rest in peace.

- Bill Metzdorf
Executive Director

Read the obituary for Margaret Anne Cargill