Del Mar couple quietly lift lives of at-risk youths

Chris and Pat Weil are what she likes to call “under the radar” philanthropists. The Del Mar couple’s names don’t adorn any high-profile buildings around town, but their targeted, low-profile work with at-risk youth has changed hundreds of lives.

Over the past 20 years, the Weils have given more than $2 million to local organizations, the bulk it for scholarships to low-income high school seniors who are the first in their families to attend college.

But it’s more than money the Weils give. They also donate hundreds of hours each year as mentors, board members and advisers, and they support other local organizations that promote community reinvestment, humanities and the arts.

Chris Weil, 79, said he and his wife could easily give their money away to huge national charities, but they prefer donating to smaller, local organizations where they can offer more than a check.

“We like to give in ways where we can be part of the full cycle, at the beginning, the middle and the end of things,” he said. “There’s something about being hands-on that’s really gratifying.”

Education has played an important role in the Weils’ lives together. They first met when they were classmates at North Hollywood Junior High.

But Chris had a love-hate relationship with education a teenager. In an act of rebellion against his parents during his junior year, he failed all but one of his classes (he got an A in choir). Rather than repeat the grade, he and his mom negotiated a deal where he could instead enlist in the Navy at 17.

He did well, finishing his service four years later as a first class petty officer. Then in June 1958 he enrolled at UCLA, where one of the first people he encountered was Pat, who was putting herself through school by working in the bookstore. They married two years later, and eventually had three children.

After college, Pat became a 5th- and 6th-grade teacher and later was a reading program consultant for teachers at inner-city schools in South Central L.A. She said she saw up-close how education could change lives.

“Education introduced me to Shakespeare, anthropology and geology,” said Pat, 80. “We wanted to raise (these children) up and open their lives to possibilities.”

Chris started his career in 1963 as a securities trader. Since 1970 has owned his own investment firms, including the current Christopher Weil & Co. since 1996. That’s the same year the Weils decided to escape the pressures of L.A. and move to Del Mar.

Most of their employees and all three of their children happily followed. Today Matthew Weil, 56, Kit-Victoria Wells, 52, and Caitlin Weil, 47 all work for the company and are actively involved in their parents’ charitable work.

One of the first thing Pat did after moving to Del Mar was sign up as a literacy volunteer at Del Mar Heights Elementary. But the Weils wanted to do more in the philanthropic arena as a way to meet people in their new hometown. They soon met philanthropic consultant Valerie Jacobs.

“They’re two of my favorite people in the world,” said Jacobs, secretary for the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation in Southeast San Diego. “They take everything they do philanthropically very seriously. One of the main things that impresses me about them is they live very modestly but give lots of money away. Their attitude is ‘this is all we need,’ which is wonderful and very rare.”

The Weils’ first local charitable effort was joining the UC San Diego’s Chancellor’s Associates council. Today they’re underwriters for the university’s Division of Arts & Humanities.

“As true philanthropists, Chris and Pat see their financial generosity as only one facet of a larger sense of commitment to the common good,” said Cristina Della Coletta, dean of Arts & Humanities. “We have been fortunate to be the beneficiaries of their wisdom, time, creativity and wit.”

One of the humanities programs the Weils have supported is the Women in Philosophy Program, which encourages undergraduate women at UCSD to pursue studies in the male-dominated field.

“Humanities have become extras in education and are being downgraded in schools,” said Chris, whose UCLA degree is in philosophy. “We do what little we can to enhance them. In our philanthropy we like to finance the education component of the humanities.”

In 2000, UCSD opened The Preuss School, a college preparatory high school for low-income students from underrepresented communities. Pat signed up immediately to mentor a freshman, and when the girl prepared to graduate in 2004, the Weils decided to give her a scholarship.

They’d first established a scholarship fund at the San Diego Foundation, where advisers encouraged the Weils to accept multiple applications and sit in on student interviews. They were so touched by the students’ stories, they gave all 18 applicants a scholarships that year.

“They are thoughtful and caring philanthropists who dig deep into the mission to provide not just financial support but sage guidance and leadership as well,” said Scott Barton, principal of The Preuss School.

Since 2004, the Weils have given more than 250 “MKC” scholarships (an acronym for their children’s first initials) to Preuss students totaling $1.5 million. Many recipients have come back from college to work for the Weils as interns and employees.

Macy Olivas, a 2009 scholarship recipient, manages clients’ philanthropic giving for Christopher Weil & Co. She also directs the Patricia & Christopher Weil Family Foundation, which has become an independent nonprofit.

Besides giving to Preuss, the foundation now gives scholarships as well to graduating students at Gompers Preparatory Academy and Borrego High School. Other foundation beneficiaries are San Diego Grantmakers, the Center for Community Solutions, Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, the National Conflict Resolution Center, San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Old Globe, Words Alive and Mainly Mozart.

Nancy Laturno Bojanic, executive director and co-founder of the Mainly Mozart concert organization, said the Weils have been “a driving force for many years” and they’ve long served as board and advisory council members.

“I adore them,” Bojanic said. “They’re passionate people that truly care and they’re great fun. They have amazing values and heart and are an incredible inspiration in terms of family.”

As president of the Weil Family Fund, Patricia spends about 30 percent of her time on philanthropic and advisory work. Chris gives about 10 percent of his time, because he still spends three days a week working in the office and from their hilltop home overlooking Torrey Pines State Beach.

“I would say philanthropy has become my main hobby,” he said. “The reason I don’t have other hobbies is every time I try to slow down, some interesting new cause comes around the bend.”

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com