Longtime philanthropist Pat Rebele dies at 96, leaving a legacy of community and arts advocacy

As half of one of Santa Cruz County’s most prominent philanthropist power couples, Patricia “Pat” Rebele was known for her generosity of spirit and the way she showed up for the community.

Rebele died Dec. 15 at the age of 96 at the Dominican Oaks retirement home, leaving behind a legacy of community, arts and education support. With her late husband, Rowland Rebele, who died in late 2023, Pat Rebele donated tens of millions of dollars to local charities, nonprofits, arts groups and scholarship funds. The pair supported multiple programs and initiatives at UC Santa Cruz, including the university library, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, the arboretum and opera program, in addition to establishing an endowed chair in the history of art and visual culture at the school.

“For more than four decades, Pat and her husband were extraordinary partners to our campus,” UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive said in a statement. “She and Rowland were a remarkable partnership and a powerful force for good, helping UC Santa Cruz grow in ways that will continue to open doors for our students and faculty for generations.”

Patricia Smith Rebele was born in Long Beach and later moved to the San Francisco area, where she and her future husband met while they were in middle school. The couple eventually settled in Santa Cruz County in 1980, following Rowland Rebele’s long career in newspaper publishing. Pat Rebele enrolled in college in her late 50s after her children were grown and earned her bachelor’s degree from UCSC in 1988. She and her husband remained closely connected to the university over the next four decades.

The Rebeles’ influence extended far beyond campus. They were avid supporters of the Santa Cruz Symphony, Santa Cruz Shakespeare and the Homeless Services Center (now Housing Matters). Many locals recognize their name from the Rebele Family Shelter, the local homeless shelter their philanthropy helped support. Among the many other institutions they supported are Cabrillo College, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and New Music Works. They also established the Rebele Journalism Internship Program at Stanford University. “Reb” Rebele was also an early financial supporter of Lookout when it launched.

Sally Green, deputy director of that Arts Council Santa Cruz County, recalled the Rebeles as a couple who balanced each other out well and whose generosity expanded far beyond financial support. They also shared ideas and guidance, and supported local arts events as attendees.

“She showed up. She came to all the events,” Green said of Pat Rebele. “She was very intentional about saying hello, she was very expressive. Her generosity of spirit sort of sparkled through the way she showed up as a person.”

According to Pat Rebele’s obituary, she was also an avid illustrator and painter who wrote a children’s book titled “Sally Slug.” She loved tennis, reading and gardening, and served on multiple boards including the UC Santa Cruz Foundation board of trustees and the board of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.

She also had a droll sense of humor, said Green: “It was a quiet sense of humor that I loved.”

The Rebeles had two sons and a daughter; they’re also survived by five grandchildren.

“Pat and Reb were giants in the community and their generosity showed what it meant to be not only philanthropists, but true leaders through their actions,” said Susan True, CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. “We take solace in knowing that their life’s work will continue to nurture our community through trusted organizations and institutions they helped build and sustain. Pat always offered her warmth and kindness, and she will be missed in the place she helped make better for all.”

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