It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Jean Oglesby CBE - a remarkable philanthropist, community leader and a treasured friend to The University of Manchester.
Jean, alongside her late husband Michael, co-founded the Oglesby Charitable Trust in 1992, building a legacy that has touched thousands of lives across he North West and beyond. The University has been privileged to share in that legacy for many decades. Jean's approach to philanthropy was deeply personal - she wanted to understand the programmes she supported, meet the people leading them, and be certain that her giving would create lasting change.
Through the Trust, Jean and Michael made transformational contributions to our work - from funding PhD scholarships at the Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre to advancing pioneering research in cancer and leukaemia, to supporting public health policy and environmental sustainability initiatives. Their leadership and generosity were instrumental in establishing the Manchester Cancer Research Centre's new home, where world-leading oncology teams are now working to develop personalised cancer treatments that will save and extend lives.
Jean also enriched the University's cultural life. Her love of the arts was expressed through the Trust's support for Manchester Museum initially for the vivarium and followed by support for wider capital projects. This was also demonstrated in the Trust's commissioning of original artworks for the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, the John Rylands Library, and the Whitworth Art Gallery. These contributions have enhanced our campus as a place to learn, work and be inspired.
In 2015, Jean and Michael became two of the founding members of the Langworthy Circle of Benefactors, an honour that acknowledges our most significant donors. In 2016, Jean was also honoured with a CBE for services to philanthropy in the North West. But those who knew her will remember her most for her warmth, wisdom, and quiet strength - qualities that left an impression on everyone she met.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor, said: "Jean was a close friend to the University and a force for good. Her compassion and clarity of purpose were extraordinary. She believed deeply in the power of community. She touched and inspired countless lives - in Manchester and far beyond. Her legacy will live on through the Oglesby Charitable Trust, the causes she championed, the institutions she supported and the communities she cared for so deeply."
On behalf of the entire University community, we offer our heartfelt condolences to Jean's family and friends, and our enduring gratitude for her extraordinary partnership, which will continue to inspire for generations to come.
