Morris H. Bergreen; Founder and Trustee of Skirball Center

Morris H. Bergreen, 83, president of the Skirball Foundation and a founder and trustee of Los Angeles’ Skirball Cultural Center, died Monday in New York City of heart complications.

Bergreen, who also maintained a home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., was considered a visionary by cultural center officials, who said in a statement that he worked to make the center “a place of welcome and inspiration for people from all over the world.”

Educated at New York University and Fordham University and their law schools, Bergreen served in the Army Air Force and then practiced law in New York City for more than 40 years. He was also active in business and investment circles, serving as president of the Croydon Co. and general manager of the Grosvenor and Skirball Investment Cos.

Known for his philanthropy in Jewish and educational organizations, Bergreen was a trustee of the Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged, a governor of Hebrew Union College and a life trustee of New York University.