} She declined to address specifics in the memoir. var cookieSettings = { No. if (c.indexOf(name) == 0) { Al Wilsey also invested in real estate with developer Gerson Bakar. function setNewsletterCookie(cookieName, value) { ); // ------------------------------------------------------------------- // Append ouibounce to page Want to stay ahead of the art world? But Harry de Wildt, a fixture on the San Francisco society scene for 38 years, was simultaneously curious about and dismissive of the memoir. Old, young, every ethnic group. Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor and philanthropist, and the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey. As an outgrowth, she formed a movement (now known as Children as the Peacemakers) and began trotting the globe with children of various races and her son, orchestrating meetings with leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Menachem Begin, even the pope, in her quest for world harmony and a Nobel Prize, Wilsey writes. She's sitting in an armchair in her Napa Valley homethe place where she is most happyher 10-year old Maltese at her feet. When they rebuilt it, they modernized it and reworked some of the space. The catalyst was the Russian National Orchestras annual summer residency in Northern California, starting in 1999. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Another thing she loves about the museums? . "We'll teach him a lesson together." Its as if shes seeing it for the first time. With inspiring education programs for youth and seniors, tuition-free summer academies for vocalists and instrumentalists, and scholarships for talented students, Festival Napa Valley plays a vital part in creating a thriving, healthy, and engaged community, fulfilling its mission to bring the arts to all. Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor and philanthropist, and the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). + '' It was as if true refinement had sprung to life. appendNewsletterSignup(); He says, In 1975, I bought an old cabin, put a cupola on the top, and called it Tucker Farm Schoolhouse to make it sound legit-ish. }, 5000); onSuccess(); I always intended to collaborate with my youngest sister, the photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, on the project. Vittoria Benzine, Its something I never thought I would buy. closeSignupBar(); She was a part of the search committee that found the new director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), the umbrella that oversees both the de Young and the Legion of Honor. Blacksmithing and blade smithing classes followed, and he found his passion. Wilsey and I are 30 minutes into an hour-long conversation, and I couldnt agree with her more. She hosted roundtable luncheons with the likes of Eldridge Cleaver, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. Unless you're Sean Wilsey, who wrote a book and is bringing it all out into the open. $modal.find('.newsletter-signup-thank-you').fadeIn('fast'); Wendy Sheanin, events manager at the store, said that anything associated with McSweeney's or bearing the word McSweeney's pricks the interest of readers. expiration_days: 14 Al Wilsey, meanwhile, married Dede, who coolly co-opted Pat's position in San Francisco society, took over Pat's Napa Valley weekend dream house, and turned suddenly against Sean, hardening . What work do you wish you had bought when you had the chance? Everybody you can imagine. Thats me with my husband and partner in crime, Trevor Traina. She remains a prominent figure in the artistic and cultural spheres of San Francisco, spearheading the rebuilding of the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, as well as the establishment of numerous trusts for organizations such as the San Francisco Ballet. By Carol Hyman. .removeClass('slideOutDown slideOutUp') Its unpleasant. clearInterval(initOuibounce); FIESTA Da de los Muertos celebrates life with music, dancing, art, and flowers. The sale marked the end of a chapter in the journey that has defined my adulthood, one that tested my fathers patience daily as I discovered a love of product design and creating new tasting experiences. Like. if(valid){ slideInModal('Up'); pagetype = document.querySelector('meta[property="og:type"]').getAttribute("content"), After it was damaged by the 1989 earthquake, Wilsey single-handedly raised the necessary funds to build a new museum. She married shipping magnate and art collector John Traina in 1965, and had two sons with him (Todd and Trevor Traina). } It was held, fittingly enough, in the de Young Museum's central court . . Paul Pelosi and Dede Wilsey. In 1980, she married dairy millionaire Wilsey, who had recently divorced his third wife, Pat Montandon. I am truly a happy camper!, Dianne Martinez, Nimbus Arts first ArtPass holder, The caliber and quality of Nimbus Arts programming is exemplary. $modal[0], { Dede Wilsey said she has no intention of reading the memoir. Napa Valley Festival del Sole was founded by San Francisco Bay Area attorney and arts manager Richard Walker and IMG Artists Chairman Barrett Wissman. You cant tell the difference. var settings = cookieSettings[cookieName]; Dede Wilsey, who grew up going to her family's newport home, beaulieu, photographed with her son todd } Dede Wilsey - Early Life. // Check if ouibounce exist before calling ouibounce But hating Dede Wilsey, a San Francisco socialite and philanthropist, is the most enjoyable part of a memoir that is at once an effective coming-of-age tale, a touching love letter to aging parents, and a comic romp through . There is an energetic, youthfulness to Wilsey and when she speaks, her tone is both excited and astute. } She is the granddaughter of Herbert Henry Dow, founder of the American multinational conglomerate Dow Chemical. var $ = window.jQuery; var script = document.createElement('script'); } Soon I too succumbed to the valleys charms and convinced my dad that he needed to hire me. She also told her son that she had cancer and would "be dead by Christmas," but mysteriously, lived on -- with no explanation as to her recovery. Thirty-two years ago my serial entrepreneur father, Clarke Swanson, got an itch, a romantic notion of the American dream, and in the blink of an eye purchased a hundred acres in Napa Valley, on Oakville Cross Road. Her father was, variously, the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg and Austria, as well as the White House Chief of Protocol under Dwight Eisenhower. His millions came from his Wilsey Bennett Co., which manufactured edible oils, margarines and butter pats, and also from real estate investments. By You can do something that changes somebodys life. var i = cookieNames.length, "There hasn't been a wicked stepmother like that since 'Cinderella.' "He's simply trying to cast an honest eye on himself and his family. Microsoft has removed the Birds Eye imagery for this map. And the thing is, we come from wicker. (Well, almost. Its as if shes seeing it for the first time. } else { San Francisco jet-setter Denise Hale, who was once married to Hollywood director Vincente Minnelli, has seen her share of friends become the subject of tell-all books. She divorced Traina in 1980 and married Al Wilsey, divorced by then from Montandon, in May 1981. What was your first purchase (and how much did you pay for it)? Theres just a lack of camaraderie in this city anymore, and thats really sad., Speaking of camaraderie, is Wilsey seeing anyone special? Romance novelist. Deceased. join our mailing list. ". "It's not a gossipy tell-all, it's a coming-of-age story about a child surviving a life of conspicuous consumption," Maupin said in a telephone interview from New York, where a film based on his latest novel, "The Night Listener," is being filmed with Robin Williams and Toni Collette. Sean Wilsey, an editor at large for McSweeney's Quarterly, lives in New York with his wife, Daphne Beal, whose first novel is to be published this summer, their 2-year-old son, Owen, and newborn . She is the granddaughter of Herbert Henry Dow, founder of the American multinational conglomerate Dow Chemical. + '<\/div>' I would say most of them couldnt do what Im doing. Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor and philanthropist, and the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey. I cant imagine having nothing to do but lie there and read a book. The Best Carry-On Backpacks for Every Traveler, The Best Luxury Luggage for Traveling in Style, A Guide to 8 Hotels in The Reluctant Traveler. } Bottlerock Napa Valley 2021 reminds us of what it means to just feel good again. }) She is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Its a museum picture and it really belongs in a museum. }); Although I was incredibly intimidated by the thought of interviewing San Franciscos reigning queen of philanthropy, any fears melted away within seconds of meeting her. addCss('https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/animate.css/3.5.2/animate.min.css'); Giovanni Antonio Canal, Il Canaletto, Entrance to the Grand Canal looking East, with Santa Maria della Salute at right. In a six-month project with The Chronicle's investigative team, she recently revealed the misleading practices of a San Francisco fashion charity that took donations from wealthy philanthropists but donated little to the stated cause of helping the developmentally disabled. "The clich 'truth is stranger than fiction' may well have been coined to describe Sean Wilsey's wild, wise, and whip-smart memoir." Elle "[An] irreverent and remarkably candid memoir about growing up in wealthy eighties San Francisco . var valid = ctx.validate( $form, $email); url: $form.attr('action'), July 8, 2008, 10:52am. "At times we are revolted by what he did, and other times we're in his corner cheering for him. It concerns me greatly. Dede Wilsey, an arts benefactor in San Francisco, at her home in the Napa Valley. (By the time Al Wilsey died of respiratory failure in 2002, father and son appeared to have reached a loving accord.).