Mary Oakley Foundation

Member since 2018

Jules and Mary Oakley

Jules and Mary Oakley

A longtime resident of Santa Barbara, California, Jules Oakley established the Mary Oakley Foundation in 1995 in memory of his late wife, Mary Oakley, who died of complications of Alzheimer's disease in 1994. Jules Oakley directed that the proceeds of his Family Trust be used to improve quality of life for indigent seniors suffering from one of the adult dementias in the region of Ventura-Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. He died in 1996, but not before seeing his Foundation bear fruition with residential care provision to initial matriculants in the Santa Barbara area in May 1995.

Staffed by an all-volunteer board composed principally of relatives, the Foundation since its inception has supported public education and high-grade academic medical research projects associated with age-related cognitive diseases and other disorders of the brain and its end-related organs of special sense. The Foundation only supports pre-selected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals or donations. The Foundation underwrites continuous residential care for specifically qualified individuals in two-year stipends for seniors with dementia who are able to appreciate the attributes of residential living but can no longer manage independently, have no resources, have no family support or are not yet qualified for Skilled Nursing, which is state-sponsored in California.

After many years supporting research in dementia basic science, the Foundation established the Mary Oakley Foundation Chair in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of California in 2017. In 2018 the Foundation became a member of the Alzheimer's Association Zenith Society with grants designated to support the International Research Grant Program, the LEARN Extension and the Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS), as well as Individual Respite Grants and Family Services Programs provided by the Association's California Central Coast Chapter. The Foundation also supports the Day Care Program at a long-established dual-location facility in its region of service for seniors who may safely live at home with family, along with major research projects at the University of California.

The Alzheimer's Association Zenith Society represents our highest and most involved level of philanthropy — setting the bar for leadership giving in critical mission areas of Alzheimer's care, support, advocacy, awareness and research. Together, these inspirational donors are transforming the realities of Alzheimer's disease.


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