There are no sociological pronouncements made. No. + '<\/div>'; 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 . Tax ID 26-4008029. recentlyShown: { S.F. socialite Dede Wilsey joins YIMBYs in big housing fight. Here's }); Iwas just visiting my one son who lives in Austria, now, she mentions casually. $('body').append(signup); Arriving at their historic, Victorian-style Oakville home, its easy to understand why the pairknown for their notable art collection, philanthropy and omnipresence on the San Francisco social scenepack up their kids almost every weekend and head here to unwind. + ' @media (max-width: 1199px){ #ouibounce-modal .description {font-size:13px !important;} }' She and Wilsey were fixtures on the social axes of San Francisco and Napa Valley, where they maintained a country house. Dede Wilsey Buys Ballot Measure to Return Cars to JFK } The dining-room table belonged to my great-grandmother, as did the sideboard next to it, and [the nearby] secretary belonged to my mother., Though theres no denying his familys pedigree, Trevor cant help but make fun of some of the houses inherited features: It reminds me of that great comment by Marella Agnellimade after the socialite toured Sid and Mercedes Bass apartment in New Yorkwhen she said, It will take her another lifetime to understand wicker! Theres nothing more WASP-y than lattice and wicker. Everything awesome about summer in Napa Valley can be traced back to a glass of rosepeople sip it like water here. In Europe, she came across many who said they no longer wanted to visit SF because its filthy. After it was damaged by the 1989 earthquake, Wilsey single-handedly raised the necessary funds to build a new museum. addCss('https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css'); 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. }, 7500); Pacific Heights - W Magazine Perservation Society of Newport County, Yosernit Fund, Napa Valley Symphony Starlight Express, Nape Valley Symphony, SF Authority Of The Fine Arts Museums, Yosef Fund . The cast of characters is as rich and intertwined as a soap opera. Napa Valley Festival Association - GuideStar Profile In October, she funded the museums acquisition of Canalettos Venice, the Grand Canal looking East with Santa Maria della Salute. ", In his book-jacket blurb, Eggers, whom the New York Times recently suggested is "the (George) Plimpton of his generation," called the book "the most compulsively readable book I've picked up in years.". I mean you dont want them to blow your child up, Wilsey says seriously. Here's why that's ironic. I just bought a new dog picture. Presumably, when the press tour begins, Wilsey, who is married, has a son and lives in New York, will explain the motivation for the book, whose release roughly coincides with the final stages of completion of the new de Young. Well, Im sure there are several and Im sure I have sold them by now. Dede Wilsey Comments on Paul Pelosi's (Alleged) Drunk-Driving - SFist }) A renowned artist, entertainer, and major league raconteur, Ira Yaeger also happens to be my mothers best friend. setTimeout(function() { defernl() }, 250); In 1982, Wilsey writes, his mother helped author Jerry Jampolsky promote his book, "Children as Teachers for Peace." beloved husband of Diane (Dede) Buchanan, and loving father of Susan Smallwood, Michael . And I love the fact that its a constant learning experience and then you work with wonderful people., Wilsey has just finished her latest project with the museums. '