By Lookout Staff

June 21, 2012 -- A memorial service for David Legaspi III -- an artist whose murals grace the walls of Santa Monica's public schools -- will be held next Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Barnum Hall on the Santa Monica High School Campus.

The 51-year-old artist, teacher and philanthropist was found dead in his Woodland Hills home on June 5 of a possible heart attack. His death was not announced until his family in Australia was notified.

Legaspi, who created hundreds of murals in schools across the Los Angeles area, continued working until the end, according to the David Legaspi III Memorial Page on Facebook.

"May was a busy month for David, putting in long hours doing what he enjoyed most, painting with children, sharing his love of art, and documenting his projects," read a posting on the memorial page.

In a May 29 email to a friend, Legaspi wrote, "I've been busy painting murals all over town. I'm in the middle of painting with 1,200 kids at an LAUSD school right now."

But, according to the memorial post, "David's largest impact was not what he put on walls, but what he inspired in the hearts of thousands of children... and grown-ups."

An architect and designer in his native Philippines, Legaspi began working on his murals full-time in Sydney Australia in 1993, before moving to Los Angeles.

He worked as an architect with CBMG Management Group in Santa Monica from 1999–2002, then "embraced his life’s calling, painting murals with and for children, whom he called his Little Artists," on a full-time basis, according to the Facebook page.

Legaspi didn't charge for the murals and often paid for the materials, using funds from his private commissions, according to the memorial post.

“David was the single most generous and prolific contributor to our school in my 20 years at Webster, and literally transformed our environment,” said Phil Cott, principal of Malibu’s Webster Elementary School.

Legaspi is survived by his siblings, Dodie, Marileth, Denn, and Malou, his parents, Letty Legaspi and David Legaspi Jr.from Sydney, Australia and his"adopted" California parents, Alice Stone and Barney Muller of Lomita.

The David Legaspi III Memorial Fund is now accepting contributions: David Legaspi III Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 2863, Malibu, CA 90265.