Barbara Davis
American philanthropist
Marvin Davis
(m. 1951; died 2004)John Davis
Nancy Davis Rickel
Gregg Davis
Dana Davis
Barbara Davis (née Levine; born October 9, 1930) is an American billionaire philanthropist. She is the widow of industrialist Marvin Davis.
Biography
Early life
Born Barbara Levine in New York City in 1930, she graduated from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, in 1951.[1][2][3]
Philanthropy
In 1977, she established the Children's Diabetes Foundation.[1][4] Since 1978, she has organized the black-tie, invitation-only Carousel of Hope Ball every two years to raise money for juvenile diabetes.[1][4][5][6] In particular, the proceeds go to the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Aurora, Colorado and the Children's Diabetes Foundation.[5]
She also serves on the Boards of Trustees of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Massachusetts, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, the Race to Erase MS in Los Angeles, California and the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California.[1] Additionally, she is a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel of the Los Angeles Music Center.[1]
In November 1992, she received the 1992 Promise Ball Humanitarian Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International in New York City (JDRF).[1] In 1995, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Colorado.[1] In 2004, she received the Angel Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Los Angeles.[1]
Personal life
She married Marvin Davis (1925–2004) in 1951.[1][4][5][6] They had five children:
- Patricia Davis Raynes.[6][7]
- John Davis.[6][7]
- Nancy Davis Rickel (married Nebil Zarif; they had three sons: actor Jason Davis (1984-2020), Brandon Davis and Alexander Davis; they divorced and she remarried to Ken Rickel; they had two daughters: Isabella Rickel and Mariella Rickel).[6][7]
- Gregg Davis (married actress Kim Richards; they had two children: Whitney Davis (born 1990) and Chad Davis (born 1991); they later divorced).[6][7]
- Dana Davis.[6][7]
They resided in Denver, Colorado, from 1951 to 1985.[1][5][6] In 1985, they moved to The Knoll, an estate in Beverly Hills, California.[1][6][7] Shortly after his death, she sold it for $46 million and moved into a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel.[4][7] Additionally, in 2011 she listed a condominium she owned in the Wilshire Corridor in Westwood, Los Angeles.[8]
In 2006, she was worth $2.5 billion.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Children's Diabetes Foundation
- ^ Gardner, Chris (October 9, 2020). "Barbara Davis, L.A.'s Grand Dame of Philanthropy, Turns 90: "I Have to Wish for Peace and Love"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ Cavassuto, Maria (August 4, 2016). "Barbara Davis Keeps the Carousel of Hope Charity Ball Turning". Variety.
- ^ a b c d Fred Schruers, Table-Hopping With...Barbara Davis, W, February 2012
- ^ a b c d Brook Barnes, Tough Times No Deterrent for This Ball, The New York Times, October 22, 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Obituaries: Marvin Davis, The New York Times, Accessed May 24, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Billionaires: #292 Barbara Davis & family, Forbes
- ^ Lauren Beale, Barbara Davis puts Wilshire Corridor condo on the market, The Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2011
