Breast cancer claims life of art gallery's billionaire

Josie Robertson and her husband Julian fell in love with New Zealand on a visit 30 years ago and spent part of each year here. Photo / Supplied

American billionaire Josephine Robertson, a major benefactor to the Auckland Art Gallery, has died. She was 67.

Known as Josie, she died at her home in New York City on Tuesday night.

Mrs Robertson and her husband Julian - an honorary Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit - were widely known for their generosity to the Auckland gallery, having given it around $115 million worth of artworks.

They were also admired as the founders of two luxury golf resorts - Kauri Cliffs near Kerikeri and Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay.

Gallery director Chris Saines said last night that staff were deeply saddened by the loss, as the Robertsons had become good friends.

Mrs Robertson was well known for her "deep love affair" with New Zealand and had spent her whole life giving, Mr Saines said.

"It was Josie's lifelong passion for art and her later training in art history that sparked the family's interest in collecting.

"In recent years, Josie and Julian have become close friends of the gallery. She will be greatly missed by her family and by us all."

Mrs Robertson was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas in 1965.

A creative and artistic woman, she later joined a sister-in-law to manage Tuckertown, a business making Christmas-tree ornaments that were sold to department stores throughout America, before she and Mr Robertson married in 1972.

After separately establishing several charitable programmes, the couple launched the Robertson Foundation in 1996, making grants towards education, medical research, the environment, religious groups and other charities.

The Robertson Scholars Program annually offers students from around the world - including New Zealand - the chance to take up a $400,000 university scholarship to study for four years in the United States.

The couple also helped to set up a library in Kerikeri.

They have regularly travelled to NZ, spending part of each year in the country they first came to love after a visit Downunder around 30 years ago.

Mrs Robertson died of breast cancer, a disease she had battled for some time. She is survived by her husband, their sons Spencer, Alexander and Julian III, three grandchildren and four siblings.

A service will be held tomorrow at St Bartholomew's in New York City.