Arts patron and philanthropist Dorothy Saxe dies at age 100

Dorothy Saxe, a Bay Area community leader, philanthropist, and arts patron with a lifelong devotion to Jewish life, died on October 13, 2026, in Menlo Park, California. She was 100.

A memorial service will be held at Congregation Beth Am (26790 Arastradero Rd, Los Altos Hills)  on Monday, October 19, at 12:30 p.m., following a private burial.

Dorothy believed that being part of a community meant taking responsibility for it. She gave generously, but just as importantly, she showed up. She served on boards, built lasting friendships, supported artists, and encouraged others to become involved. Her philosophy of giving back was simple: “Because that’s what you do.”

Born February 10, 1926, in Michigan City, Indiana, Dorothy graduated from Northwestern University in 1946 and married George Saxe on October 19, 1947. Together they raised three children, Loren, Ellen, and Joel. In 1959, they moved to Palo Alto and joined Congregation Beth Am, which remained central to Dorothy’s life for more than six decades.

Dorothy put those values into practice throughout the Bay Area. She was deeply involved in the organizations she supported, contributing not only financially but also offering her time, energy, and leadership. She served on the board of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, was actively involved with the Jewish Community Federation, and was a longtime trustee of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, which she helped establish. In recognition of her decades of service, she received the Federation’s 2022 Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership Award.

Dorothy’s enthusiasm for art was another way she connected with people. Around 1980, she and her husband, George, discovered contemporary glass and began what became a lifelong shared passion for collecting studio craft. Dorothy liked to joke that until then, the only things she had collected were restaurant matchbooks. They traveled widely, eventually acquiring more than 700 works. But for Dorothy, the friendships they developed with artists were as meaningful as the objects themselves. She took a particular interest in encouraging emerging artists and sharing their work with others.

Believing that art should be accessible to the public, Dorothy and George donated much of their collection to museums, including the de Young in San Francisco, where the Dorothy and George Saxe Gallery bears their names. Dorothy also served for more than three decades on the board of Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle, and the couple helped found the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.

Her passions for art and Judaism came together at the Contemporary Jewish Museum through the Dorothy Saxe Invitational, endowed and named in her honor by George in 2009. The exhibition invited contemporary artists to explore Jewish traditions and ideas. “I love Judaism and I love art,” Dorothy said, and the Invitational allowed her to bring those two worlds together.

One of Dorothy’s greatest priorities was passing her values to future generations. She and George established charitable funds for each of their grandchildren, giving them the opportunity to choose causes they cared about and develop their own commitment to philanthropy. She took great pride in seeing those values take root in the generations that followed.

Dorothy was also a person of remarkable curiosity, humor, and energy. An avid reader of newspapers and magazines, she followed current events and enjoyed a lively conversation. Her friendships spanned generations, and her dry wit stayed with her throughout her life. An early advocate of recycling and conservation, she cared deeply about the environment. She continued driving into her 90s, attending events and meetings, and remaining engaged with the world around her. She never wanted to miss a thing.

Above all, Dorothy treasured her family. She loved the annual vacations and gatherings that brought her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren together. For all the organizations she supported and the institutions she helped strengthen, she considered her family her greatest legacy. She approached her long life with gratitude, once saying, “I’ve been lucky and blessed. I live gratitude.”

Dorothy’s legacy lives on in the people she inspired, the friendships she nurtured, and the generations of her family who will carry her values forward.

Dorothy was predeceased by her husband, George, who died in 2010; her parents, Fay and Jack Ruby; her brother, Bud; and her sister, Harriett. She is survived by her children, Loren (Shelley) Saxe, Ellen (Jerry) Saliman, and Joel (Susan) Saxe; her six grandchildren, David (Melissa) Saxe, Aaron Saxe, Daniel Saxe, Rebecca (Stephen) Berger, Dena (Gary) Maple, and Shira (Matt) Bernstein; and seven great-grandchildren, Maya, Samara, Talia, Aviva, Faye, Levi, and Oliver.

The family is deeply grateful to Robin Kvietys, Annabelle Welch, and Aurora Ontiveros for their devotion and care.

Contributions in Dorothy’s memory may be made to Congregation Beth Am, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, or the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

InMenlo profiled Dorothy Saxe in 2011; the photo is from that profile.