Doris Scharpf was the most marvelous kind of shared secret for certain Albany residents, akin to knowing a superhero’s secret identity.

Scharpf lived rather modestly and didn’t seek out the limelight, but she also was a philanthropist who enjoyed quietly giving tens of millions of dollars to numerous Albany and mid-Willamette Valley organizations.

“Every time there was another article in the newspaper about an anonymous donor contributing funds to a civic project in the community, a lot of people knew it was Doris,” said John Buchner, former publisher of the Democrat-Herald, and a neighbor to Scharpf.

“Everybody knew who it was,” said Wendy Kirbey, president of the board for the Albany Historic Carousel & Museum. “This town, and our children, are better because of her,” she added.

Scharpf gave $4 million to the carousel effort because she thought it would be a magical place for Albany youth to visit, Kirbey said.

“We wanted to dedicate the building to her or her husband. She wouldn’t have any part of it,” she said. Carousel organizers wanted to recognize Scharpf by putting her name beside other donors inside the building. She refused.

“You don’t help people to have everybody know that you’re helping people. You help people to help people. It didn’t matter if anybody knew. She wanted to do good stuff,” said Susan McKay, Scharpf’s daughter, now a Wyoming resident.