Dede Wilsey
Encyclopedia
Diane B. Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite
and philanthropist
, the widow
of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey.
and Austria
, as well as the White House
Chief of Protocol
under Dwight Eisenhower. Her maternal great-grandfather, Herbert Henry Dow
, was the founder of Dow Chemical. She married shipping magnate and art collector John Traina in 1965, and had two sons with him (Todd
and Trevor Traina). Her father was against the marriage. In 1980, she married dairy millionaire Wilsey, who had recently divorced his third wife, Pat Montandon. She and Wilsey were fixtures on the social axes of San Francisco and Napa Valley, where they maintained a country house. 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
. She also is featured prominently in her stepson Sean Wilsey
's memoir Oh the Glory of it All
in which the author describes her as his "evil stepmother".
Wilsey is the mother of film producer Todd Traina
and Trevor Traina.
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, the widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey.
Early life
She was born Diane Dow Buchanan in 1944, to Mr. and Mrs. Wiley T. Buchanan, Jr. Her father was, variously, the U.S. ambassador to LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, as well as the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Chief of Protocol
Chief of Protocol of the United States
The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
under Dwight Eisenhower. Her maternal great-grandfather, Herbert Henry Dow
Herbert Henry Dow
Herbert Henry Dow was a Canadian born, American chemical industrialist. He is a graduate of Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland, Ohio. His most significant achievement was the founding of the Dow Chemical Company in 1897...
, was the founder of Dow Chemical. She married shipping magnate and art collector John Traina in 1965, and had two sons with him (Todd
Todd Traina
Todd Traina is an American film producer and the founder of Red Rover Films in 2007. In 2007 Traina was named by Daily Variety as one one of its “10 Producers to Watch.” My Suicide, a quirky low-budget dark comedy released in 2009 which Traina produced, won a Crystal Bear at the 2009 Berlin Film...
and Trevor Traina). Her father was against the marriage. In 1980, she married dairy millionaire Wilsey, who had recently divorced his third wife, Pat Montandon. She and Wilsey were fixtures on the social axes of San Francisco and Napa Valley, where they maintained a country house. 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
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
, as well as the establishment of numerous trusts for organizations such as the San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet
The San Francisco Ballet is a ballet company, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, under the direction of Helgi Tomasson. SFB is the first professional ballet company in the United States...
. She also is featured prominently in her stepson Sean Wilsey
Sean Wilsey
Sean Wilsey is the author of the memoir Oh the Glory of It All, which was published by Penguin in 2005. He is the son of Al Wilsey, a San Francisco businessman, and Pat Montandon, a socialite and peace activist, and the stepson of socialite and philanthropist Dede Wilsey...
's memoir Oh the Glory of it All
Oh the Glory of it All
Oh the Glory of it All , is a work of non-fiction by Sean Wilsey, published by Penguin Press. A humorous coming-of-age memoir, the book chronicles Wilsey's troubled years growing up in a wealthy and prominent San Francisco family.-External links:...
in which the author describes her as his "evil stepmother".
Wilsey is the mother of film producer Todd Traina
Todd Traina
Todd Traina is an American film producer and the founder of Red Rover Films in 2007. In 2007 Traina was named by Daily Variety as one one of its “10 Producers to Watch.” My Suicide, a quirky low-budget dark comedy released in 2009 which Traina produced, won a Crystal Bear at the 2009 Berlin Film...
and Trevor Traina.