Jane Pinto Reis-Brian Engelhard

ENGELHARD - Jane Pinto Reis-Brian Engelhard, 86, wife of the late precious metals magnate, Charles Engelhard, died of pneumonia on Sunday, Feb. 29, at her home on Nantucket, Mass. A longtime resident of Far Hills, N.J., Mrs. Engelhard was born in Tsingtao, China, on Aug. 12, 1917. Her father, Hugo Pinto Reis-Brian, was serving as Brazilian ambassador to China at the time. Mrs. Engelhard was raised in Paris and attended Les Oiseaux Convent school there. After the death of her first husband, banker and art collector, Fritz Mannheimer, she moved to New York City, where she met and married Charles Engelhard Jr. Mr. Engelhard was the owner of Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals, a firm he inherited from his father. For many years, the Engelhards lived on the Far Hills estate known as "Cragwood," overlooking Ravine Lake. They were generous contributors to the Democratic Party, and Mr. Engelhard served as a personal representative of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson on several assignments. Mr. Engelhard died in 1971. Mrs. Engelhard, who was known for her philanthropy, served on the boards of several institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York and the Newark Museum. She was a member for many years of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board, served as commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and was a supporter of Catholic Charities of New Jersey. After the sale of "Cragwood" in 1996, Mrs. Engelhard made her home on Nantucket. Mrs. Engelhard is survived by five daughters, Annette de la Renta of Kent, Conn., Susan O'Connor of Missoula, Mont., Sophie Craighead of Jackson Hole, Wyo., Sally Pingree of Washington, D.C., and Charlene Engelhard of Concord, Mass., 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Countess Brigitte de la Rochefoucauld of Paris and Madame Patricia Bemberg of Lausanne, Switzerland. A private funeral will be held at the church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Bernardsville, N.J., on Thursday, March 4, 2004. Burial will follow at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Bernardsville, where Mr. Engelhard is buried. Memorial donations may be made to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Nantucket, Mass. 02554.