Lois Pope

Lois Berrodin Pope (born June 7, 1933) is an American philanthropist. She is the widow of National Enquirer founder Generoso Pope Jr.

Early life Pope was born Lois Berrodin in suburban Philadelphia. She attended, but did not graduate from, Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, which later presented her with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree in recognition of her philanthropic work.

Philanthropy Pope established the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and the Lois Pope LIFE Center. In addition, Pope has donated $12 million to the University of Miami's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute to establish a center for research into treatments for macular degeneration and retinal diseases. The new center will be called the Lois Pope Center for Retinal & Macular Degeneration Research.

Pope's organizations have sponsored a variety of charitable endeavors, including a clean-water project in Guatemala, summer camp grants for disadvantaged youths, programs to honor disabled veterans, and HealthCorps. to which she and her foundations donated more than $10 million.

As a patron of the arts, she has supported the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the Palm Beach Opera and the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach.

She was married to Generoso Pope, Jr., who acquired the National Enquirer in 1952. In 1988, he died of a heart attack at the age of 61. She has four children. One of her children with Generoso, Lorraine (born 1973), has Down syndrome and lives in a residence for developmentally-challenged individuals in Ross, California.

In May 2013, Pope's son, Paul, was arrested on a complaint of public nudity and intoxication.