Orange County Arts Philanthropist William Gillespie Dies at 79

Orange County philanthropist William J. Gillespie, who passed away at 79, stands in front of the ballet school named after him at the Segerstrom Center of the Arts in Costa Mesa, Calif. Courtesy of the Segerstrom Center of the Arts

Orange County philanthropist William J. Gillespie has died, leaving behind a legacy of patronization for the arts. He was 79.

Gillespie was a significant supporter of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, the largest nonprofit arts organization in Orange County.