NEWS
Lexington philanthropist Little, widow of breeder of Wild Again, dies
Posted: Wednesday, October 09, 2002
Lucille Little, 93, the widow of prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder W. Paul Little and a donor of millions of dollars to the arts of Central Kentucky, died on Tuesday in Lexington. Little's husband, who died in 1990, bred inaugural Breeders Cup Classic (G1) winner and sire Wild Again, among his many stakes winners.
A performer and patron of the arts in the Lexington area, which included acting in plays at the University of Kentucky's Guignol Theatre, and becoming a director and designer of the Lexington Children's Theatre and Studio Players productions, Little was born in Morehead, Kentucky, on August 20, 1909. She also helped found or serve on the early boards of the Studio Players, Lexington Children's Theatre, Lexington Philharmonic, Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra, the Living Arts and Science Center, and Arts Place.
"The arts community in Lexington owes, virtually owes, its existence to Lucille," Dee Fizdale, executive director of the Lexington Arts and Cultural Council, told the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Fizdale also related how Little enjoyed her yearly pilgrimage to Keeneland Race Course with a group of her closest friends.
"Lucille taught all of us how to read the [Daily] Racing Form. …She knew all of the jockeys and all of the horses. To me it was an education.
"[Little] was an absolutely delightful raconteur. She told great stories, and she told them with a great deal of charm and wit, and a great deal of candor as well," Fizdale added.
After her husband's death, one of Little's first charitable acts was to endow the principal chair of the cello section of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra with a $62,000 donation.
Well-known for her philanthropic endeavors, Little contributed $1-million to the Kentucky Horse Park in honor of her late husband.
"His whole life was the love of the horse ... it's what art was to him," she said of her husband.
Her gift of $450,000 to the city of Lexington resulted in the horse-themed pendulum clock at central branch of the Lexington Public Library in downtown.
Little is survived by a sister, Patricia Caudill Eubank of Ft. Lauderdale, and a brother, Dr. Charles Milton Caudill of Somerset, Kentucky.
W. R. Milward Mortuary in Lexington is in charge of funeral arrangements.
