Matthew Strauss, San Diego native and philanthropic force, dies at 91

Matthew Strauss, a philanthropic force in San Diego who spent decades infusing his community with art and charitable giving, has ed away. He was 91 years old.

The legacy he left behind is an undeniable tribute to his enduring curiosity — for new areas of knowledge and the many lives he touched, family said.

Strauss, well-known for his and his wife’s substantial contemporary art collection, didn’t just travel the world to find new artists. He studied the subject area so closely, he ended up writing his own art history text. It was 800 pages long.

When his two daughters got diagnosed with cancer, he pored over research articles to better understand their illnesses. And then he funneled resources into some of the best medical centers in the region that were studying the diseases to help others who fell ill.

“I think he was very grateful for his success, which was all self-made, and so he was very committed to wanting to give back to others — to give others an opportunity,” his son, Steven Strauss, said. “It came naturally to him.

“He made a huge difference in so many people’s lives.”

A lifelong San Diegan, Matthew Strauss graduated from San Diego State University in 1955 and went on to serve for two years as a Marine Corps officer. He started his own business in 1960, the M.C. Strauss Company, which he and family have nurtured for more than 65 years.

It was his success in business that gave him the opportunity to pour resources into some of the things he loved most: his family, research at San Diego’s foremost universities and contemporary art.

Strauss and his wife, Iris, had been ionate about art for decades and are among the top 200 collectors in the world, according to ARTNews. Between two collections, one with their foundation and one that’s kept in the family, they have amassed nearly 300 pieces.

The Strauss Family Foundation collection, which includes 103 works, will eventually be featured in UC San Diego’s new Triton Center in a gallery called the Strauss. The four-building center is set to be completed in 2026.

“He always told me and my mom — and my mom agreed with him — that art like this needs to be seen by the public,” Steven, an attorney, said. “It shouldn’t be kept in private.”

It will become the second gallery space to bear the Strauss name. The recently renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego contains the Iris and Matthew Strauss Galleries. Museum officials said the man played an “invaluable role” at the museum for more than 30 years. He was a Board of Trustee member and, as its president, oversaw the museum’s latest expansion.

“Matthew’s dedication to the museum and the art community at large leaves an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire and guide us. As we reflect on his contributions, we extend our deepest gratitude for his service and unwavering commitment to the arts,” said Kathryn Kanjo, The David C. Copley Director and CEO at the museum.

Although much of the couple’s collection is paintings, Steven Strauss said his dad had a keen eye for talent that sometimes took him to more cutting-edge mediums. And he was always looking for a bargain.

He once cut a two-for-one deal for a pair of paintings by Gerhard Richter, considered to be among the most influential living artists. In 2015, an anonymous buyer purchased a different Richter painting at an auction for more than $46 million.

“Whatever dad would get interested in, he would get very curious about, very ionate about,” Steven Strauss said.

Even when the subject matter wasn’t his strong suit.

Both of the patriarch’s daughters were diagnosed with cancer, and although he didn’t have a medical background, he threw himself into the topic.

“He’d say, ‘I know I was a C student in science, but I’ve got to learn,’” Steven Strauss said. “He’d go to all these lectures and events and became friends with all these doctors. They’d always say he asked the best questions.”

Matthew and Iris Strauss would later create the Stefanie Dawn Strauss Ovarian Cancer Clinic at UC San Diego to help in the development of early detection techniques, and were the first at UCSD to fund an experimental personal cancer vaccine for their daughter, Tamara Strauss.

“Matthew Strauss was a generous visionary and friend with an insatiable ion for learning,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla in a statement. “He was dedicated to making a difference in society through ing arts, culture and education, as well as research to advance health care and medical discoveries.

“We are grateful for the legacy of impact that he and Iris have had on the UC San Diego campus, and we will miss him greatly,” the statement read.

But he loved nothing more than his family, Steven Strauss said.

Like you might expect from a former Marine Corps officer, Matthew Strauss could be a strict dad. Steven recalls his dad drilling him with questions about the most recent Time magazine — a publication he was expected to read if he wanted his allowance.

He was a man who commanded respect, without demanding it, Steven Strauss said.

“When he came in a room, you knew he was in the room,” the son said.

That’s not to say the man was unfriendly, his wife said. When they would travel, Matthew Strauss would invariably find himself in conversation with someone.

“He was friendly, he liked and was interested in people, and he could be very disarming,” Steven Strauss said. “But you didn’t take him lightly.”

Matthew Strauss is survived by his wife of 70 years, Iris Strauss, and his son, Steven, who is married to Lise Wilson; and seven grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his two daughters, Stefanie and Tamara Strauss.