Marion Sandler, philanthropist, ProPublica founder was 81

The San Francisco philanthropist whose endeavors included founding ProPublica, the first online news operation to win a Pulitzer Prize, died Friday at her San Francisco home, her family announced over the weekend. She was 81. With her husband Herb, who survives her, Sandler built a tiny Oakland savings and loan with only two branches into Golden West Financial Corp., which the couple managed for 43 years before selling in 2006 to Wachovia Corp. for $24 billion. Obit: Chronicle