Evelyn H Lauder

Evelyn Hausner was born on Aug. 12, 1936, in Vienna, the only child of Ernest and Mimi Hausner. Mrs. Lauder grew up on West 86th Street and attended Public School 9. During her freshman year at Hunter College, she met Leonard Lauder on a blind date. Mrs. Lauder learned she had breast cancer in 1989 and soon became a strong voice on behalf of women’s health, though she was always reluctant to discuss her own condition. “My situation doesn’t really matter,” she told a reporter in 1995. She was a creator of the Pink Ribbon campaign, a worldwide symbol of breast health, and in 1993 she founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which has raised more than $350 million. She held many roles at Estée Lauder, including creator of training programs and director of new products and marketing. In 1989, the year of her breast cancer diagnosis, she became the senior corporate vice president and head of fragrance development worldwide. Mrs. Lauder is survived by her husband; her sons, William and Gary; and five grandchildren.