Dede Wilsey Biography and Wiki
Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor, and philanthropist as well as the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey who was born in Washington, D.C., the United States as Diane Dow Buchanan. Wilsey is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
She also led fundraising that bankrolled $16.6 million for Grace Cathedral. She’s given generously to the UCSF medical facilities, San Francisco Ballet, and San Francisco Opera.
Wilsey is featured prominently in her stepson Sean Wilsey‘s memoir Oh the Glory of it All, in which the author described her as his “Evil stepmother”, and contended that she married Al Wilsey because of his wealth. In March 2013, Wilsey was accused of creating a disturbance among the staff at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, following the death of its longtime director, John Buchanan.
She was accused of allegedly using her affluence and influence as board president to fire many long-term curators, using museum personnel to tend to her personal collection, and forcing a show of her son’s photos.
In July 2016, it was announced that Wilsey is stepping down from her position as lifetime board president “After the museums paid a $2 million settlement to a former high-ranking executive who said Wilsey had her ousted for revealing alleged misspending of museum money.”
Dede Wilsey Age
Wilsey is 76 years old as of 2020, She was born in 1944 in Washington, D.C. Dede’s birthday is publicly not available. We will update this section once this information is available.
Dede Wilsey Height
Wilsey’s stands at a height of 5 feet 8 inches and Weighs 44 kg. She also appears to be quite tall in stature in her photos.
Dede Wilsey Education
Wilsey was educated at Connecticut College. When she made her social debut in 1961, as a Connecticut College student, Town & Country Magazine featured her on its cover.
Dede Wilsey Family, Parents and Siblings
Wilsey was born and raised by father Wiley T. Buchanan, Jr., was the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg 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. Her privileged childhood featured summers at the family estate Beulieu House in Newport, Rhode Island, and in the south of France.
Dede Wilsey Husband: Is she married?
Wilsey was married to Al Wilsey, a dairy millionaire, who had recently divorced his third wife, Patricia Montandon. The couple was fixtures on the social axes of San Francisco and Napa Valley, where they maintained a country house. Al Wilsey died in 2002 at age 82.
Wilsey was previously married to John Traina, a shipping magnate, and art collector. The couple married in 1965 and had two sons known as Todd and Trevor Traina. Her father was opposed to his daughter’s marriage. In 1980, she divorced Traina, who later married billionaire novelist Danielle Steel.
Dede Wilsey Net Worth
Wilsey has an estimated net worth of $95 million dollars as of 2020. This includes her Assets, Money, and Income. Her primary source of income is his career as a Socialite. Through her various sources of income, Wilsey has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Dede Wilsey Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Dede Wilsey.
Dede Wilsey Bio and Wiki
- Full Names: Dede Wilsey
- Popular As: Socialite, Republican donor, and philanthropist as well as the widow of San Francisco businessman
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Socialite
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: To be updated
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Dede Wilsey Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 76 years old
- Zodiac Sign: To be updated
- Date of Birth: 1944
- Place of Birth: Washington, D.C.
- Birthday: To be updated
Dede Wilsey Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: To be updated
- Height / How Tall?: 5 feet 8 inches
- Weight: 44 kg
- Eye Color: To be updated
- Hair Color: To be updated
- Shoe Size: To be updated
- Dress Size: To be updated
- Breast Size: To be updated
- Waist Size: To be updated
- Hip Size: To be updated
Dede Wilsey Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Wiley T. Buchanan, Jr.
- Mother: To be updated
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): To be updated
- Marital Status: Married
- Husband/Spouse: Married to John Traina (m. 1965–1980), Al Wilsey died in 2002
- Dating / Boyfriend: Not Applicable
- Children: Sons (Todd and Trevor Traina) Daughter(s) (Not Available0)
Dede Wilsey Networth and Salary
- Net Worth: $95 million dollars
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Socialite, Republican donor, and philanthropist
Dede Wilsey House and Cars
- Place of living: San Francisco
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Dede Wilsey Trump
Dede Wilsey Should Be Denied Nonprofit Award Because of Trump Fundraiser, Says David Campos
“The Democratic Party has to take a very clear stand that San Francisco is not going to honor or support anyone who is openly promoting Trump’s re-election,” Campos said, in reference to the July Trump fundraiser in Nob Hill.
But Wilsey, a registered Republican, claims she was not even there and did not give permission for her name to be used. “The invitation is incorrect because I never intended to be in California this summer and could not host an event for anyone,” she tells the Chronicle.
“I’m not buying it,” Campos shot back. “Her son was appointed Trump’s ambassador to Hitler’s Austria. If you believe that happened without her raising any money for Trump, I have a bridge I can sell you.”
“Hitler’s Austria”? Okay, yes, Wilsey’s son Trevor Traina is Trump’s appointed ambassador to Austria, and it’s a fair assumption to charge that any of Trump’s ambassadors have their jobs for entirely corrupt and Trump-enriching reasons. But modern-day Austria is a parliamentary democracy, and it is hardly their fault that Hitler was born there and the country was annexed by the Nazis in 1938.
Further, the Shanti Project is furious at Campos over his proposal and just cranked out an angry press release this morning. “We will not rescind the award,” executive director Kaushik Roy. “Not only because it would be wrong, but because rescinding the award could possibly be seen by the IRS as Shanti punishing someone for making contributions to a political party. If this happened, IRS regulations mandate that we could lose our tax-exempt status,”
Meanwhile, 48 Hills has the full text of Campos’ proposed resolution. “One would think that as Trump and his Administration are locking up kids at the border, engaging in the mass deportation and separation of families, depriving members of the Transgender Community basic human rights, and fanning the flames of hatred and racism to the point of inspiring mass shootings of Latinos, that Shanti, an organization that is supposed to be about compassion, would refrain from making the political statement of honoring one of Trump’s enablers simply because she gives them money also,” Campos says in its preamble. “I sincerely hope that Shanti does the right thing here. After all, Trump’s hateful policies are literally targeting many of Shanti’s clients.”
Dede Wilsey House
Wilsey, an arts benefactor lives in San Francisco, at her home in the Napa Valley. Wilsey’s privileged childhood featured summers at the family estate Beulieu House in Newport, Rhode Island, and in the south of France. She and Wilsey were fixtures on the social axes of San Francisco and Napa Valley, where they maintained a country house.
Dede Wilsey Jewelry
When the de Young Museum was unveiled in San Francisco following a $200-million-plus renovation for which she had raised almost all the funds. Three parties marked that occasion, granting Wilsey the latitude to choose three different outfits as well as three different sets of jewelry to celebrate the project’s completion.
However, the 10th anniversary of the de Young’s reopening will be commemorated this October with but a single event. As of late July, she was still weighing her options, not ready to hazard a guess at what jewels she would don on that day.
Wilsey’s love of jewelry began early. Her father, the diplomat Wiley T. Buchanan Jr., nicknamed her Sparkle after the Sparkle Plenty character in Dick Tracy comics, and he fashioned play jewelry for her out of colored foil. She remembers walking with him in Paris during a family stay at the Ritz and falling under the spell of a vitrine showcasing cabochon-cut rubies, sapphires, and emeralds set in gold.
“It was just like candy,” she recalls. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I thought, ‘When I grow up, I want something like that.’ The gold made it all pop. It made a huge impression on me.”
Today, pieces that impress Wilsey enough to earn a place in her collection have at least one thing in common: “I only buy what I want to wear,” she says. But she does consider investment value. It was around 2000, she notes, when she began to think more seriously about that aspect in making her purchases.
She laments the shift away from what she calls the “Queen Elizabeth necklace”—the more classical and formal evening designs that boast carat weights in the high double and sometimes triple digits—in favor of lighter styles; but as the president of the trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, she is doing her bit to champion these pieces and create venues where they can be worn.
“I still wear the formal things because people like it, and it’s fun,” she says. “I make all of the openings at both the de Young and the Legion (of Honor) black-tie now, so we all get to wear our evening dresses and our good jewelry.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Dede Wilsey
Who is Dede Wilsey?
Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor, and philanthropist as well as the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey who was born in Washington, D.C., the United States as Diane Dow Buchanan. Wilsey is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
How old is Dede Wilsey?
Wilsey is an American national born in 1944 in Washington, D.C.
How tall is Dede Wilsey?
Wilsey stands at a height of 5 feet 8 inches.
Is Dede Wilsey married?
Yes, she was married to Al Wilsey, a dairy millionaire. Al Wilsey died in 2002 at age 82. Wilsey was previously married to John Traina, a shipping magnate, and art collector. The couple married in 1965 and had two sons known as Todd and Trevor Traina. the couple separated in 1980.
How much is Dede Wilsey worth?
Wilsey has an approximate net worth of $95 million dollars. This amount has been accrued from her successful career as a socialite.
Where does Dede Wilsey live?
She is a resident of San Francisco, at her home in the Napa Valley, USA, we shall upload pictures of her house as soon as we have them.
Is Dede Wilsey dead or alive?
Wilsey is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of her being sick or having any health-related issues.
Dede Wilsey Social Media Contacts
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