Gloria Zigner, who opened one of Orange County’s first woman-owned public relations firm, has died following an extended illness, according to those close to her.
She was 92.
Zigner moved to OC and opened her firm in 1969, landing Pilar Wayne, the wife of John Wayne, as her first big-name client. She went on to work with The Irvine Co., the OC Register and the Anaheim Convention Center.
She was the society editor of Orange Coast Magazine from 1992 to 2015, writing about the arts and philanthropy. Zigner was best known as the founder and executive producer of the CHOC Follies musical event that annually raised money for the children’s hospital.
Zigner previously was an honoree at the Business Journal’s 12th annual Women in Business awards in 2006. At the time, she was also running a one-woman public relations firm, Gloria Zigner and Co. and a fundraising consultancy.
