It is with a heavy heart that I must share the sad news of the passing of Charlotte Mailliard Shultz. While Charlotte was indeed the other half of the dynamic Shultz duo, and George would certainly have said the better half, she was a part of the Hoover family in her own right and her loss is a tremendous one for our community.
Charlotte spent much of her life selflessly devoted to public service. Her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions to her beloved City of San Francisco in particular, were immeasurable. She served as Chief of Protocol and Director of Special Events in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office for nine consecutive administrations, where she was responsible for entertaining many prominent world leaders. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth even gave her the title of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for her long record of service in assisting royal visitors. The San Francisco Chronicle called her the "city's premier party-giver". But she was also a member of many civic boards such as the War Memorial Performing Arts Center, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Commonwealth Club of California.
From her work as chair of the building committee of the San Francisco Public Library to serving as co-chair of the Committee to Restore the San Francisco Opera House and San Francisco City Hall, Charlotte devoted so much of herself to the city she loved. She had accrued numerous awards including the State of California Woman of the Year Award in 1996 and 2000, the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement from the United Nations Association of San Francisco, the Commonwealth Club's Distinguished Citizen Award, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award and the Woodrow Wilson Award.
People like Charlotte are rare and don’t come around often. She made the most of the time given to her and put everything she could into making the world a better place. The impact of her life will be felt by many for years to come. For those who had the pleasure of knowing her, she was a dear and loyal friend to the end whose loss will forever leave a hole in our hearts.
We have lost a wonderful friend who was the epitome of grace, elegance and deep kindness. George and Charlotte are — I am sure— now reunited in the Lord’s loving embrace. Rest In Peace, Charlotte.
Charlotte Shultz, San Francisco's longtime ambassador, dies at 88, via San Francisco Chronicle
