H. F. Lenfest, a cable television mogul turned philanthropist who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to arts, education and journalism institutions in Philadelphia, died there on Sunday. He was 88.

Mr. Lenfest, who was known as Gerry, was taken from his home in Rittenhouse Square and pronounced dead at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, said Fred Stein, a family spokesman and friend. The cause was complications of chronic illness, Mr. Stein said.

Mr. Lenfest joined the media group Triangle Publications in 1965 after working at a New York law firm. When the company sold its cable television assets, he purchased them with the help of two investors and expanded the assets into the 11th largest cable company in the country.

He and his wife, Marguerite Lenfest, made $1.2 billion after selling the company, Suburban Cable, to Comcast in 2000. They donated an estimated $1.1 billion, The Associated Press reported.