Tributes have been paid to Jean Oglesby CBE – a remarkable philanthropist and community leader who has died at the age of 86
Jean, alongside her late husband Michael, co-founded the Oglesby Charitable Trust in 1992, building a legacy that has touched thousands of lives across the North West and beyond
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.
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 the University 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.
Jean served on the Board of the Royal Exchange Theatre from 2008 – 2019, having supported the theatre since it opened. She was a passionate advocate for the arts throughout her life, and within her role at the OCT made a warm impression on cast members and crew, playwrights, musicians and artists across genres. She was hugely knowledgeable, and curious about their work and their lives, and their roles in the sector she was so passionate about.
Jean had a great love of music, whether encouraging children in Everton and Anfield on the In Harmony programme at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, or supporting post-graduate musicians at the Royal Northern College of Music – of which she was made an Honorary Member in December 2014. She was a loyal audience member of these, and of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, and had a long standing relationship with Chetham’s School of Music, where she served as Feoffee from 2020 – 2024. Jean gained great pleasure from these engagements, playing a significant part in the great cultural institutions in our region.
Jean was from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, where she met the late Michael Oglesby, founder and long-time CEO of Bruntwood. She was married to Michael for 55 years, until his death in 2019, and together they had two children, and five grandchildren.
