MORBY

JACQUELINE

Pittsburgh - Jacqueline Morby died peacefully on May 12, 2026, with her beloved children Michelle and Drew by her side. Known by all as Jacqui, she led an extraordinary life defined by her sharp intelligence, spirit of adventure, generous nature, and the constant twinkle in her eye. The mutual devotion between Jacqui and Jeffrey L. Morby (1937 - 2023), her husband of 64 years, inspired everyone who knew them.

Jacqueline Sue Collins was born June 19, 1937, in Sacramento, California, to Bertha and Junior Jennings Collins. Jacqui graduated from Stanford University, where she met Jeff; while they were in California, she obtained a teaching certificate from UCLA. During her time in Los Angeles, Jacqui served as an art docent at the LA County Museum. Her resulting lifelong passion translated into an expansive and remarkable art collection. The couple moved to South America in the early 1970s; after welcoming her children and returning to the United States, Jacqui relaunched her professional career by obtaining an MBA from Simmons University at age 40.

Jacqui had an immense impact on the finance industry and forged a path that enabled other women to join the field. In 1978, Jacqui joined TA Associates, then the largest venture capital fund in the world, rising to managing director and serving on the firm's four-member executive committee before retiring in 2003. As one of few women in what was still a new field, she was a consummate entrepreneur: she effectively originated the practice of identifying promising small companies and cold calling their founders, establishing the growth equity investment strategy. The acumen with which she identified opportunities - she has been called the "Queen of Software" for her early recognition of its business potential — combined with her persistence and charisma — made her deal sourcing and investing legendary. Over the course of her career, Jacqui sat on the boards of more than 30 companies.

Jacqui was equally committed to the philanthropic causes she championed, taking on active and leadership roles at the Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, The World Wildlife Fund, Planned Parenthood, National Public Radio (NPR), Population Action International, Carnegie Mellon Project Olympus, and the International Women's Forum. Passionate about improving the communities she called home, Jacqui was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania; she also supported causes on Martha's Vineyard, focusing on mental health care resources for year-round residents.

In 2004, together with Jeff and inspired by her mother's struggle with the disease, she recruited two other families to co-found Cure Alzheimer's Fund. At its core, Jacqui's passion was grounded in a desire to relieve the physical, emotional, and financial burden of Alzheimer's for millions of people throughout the world. The non-profit applies the lessons of Jacqui's professional career - the forward vision and ethos of for-profit venture capital - to accelerate a public good, the vital scientific knowledge necessary for prevention, treatment and a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The organization they built and stewarded has to date funded more than $275 million in cutting-edge Alzheimer's research.

Jacqui was a longtime community member in Martha's Vineyard and Cambridge, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Key Largo, FL; and a frequent world traveler. Her wry wit, her sincere interest in others, and her disarming warmth made strangers into friends everywhere she went. She was deeply loved by her family and friends and respected by all those whose lives she touched. Her life made a lasting impact; she will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, and in recognition of Jacqui's deep commitment to catalyzing research through sustaining Cure Alzheimer's Fund, the family suggests any contributions be made to the Jacqui Morby Impact Fund at Cure Alzheimer's Fund at curealz.org/jacqui-morby or to The World Wildlife Fund at protect.worldwildlife.org.