Charlotte Mailliard Shultz.
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Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, San Francisco Chief of Protocol and unofficial assistant to 10 mayors, passed away on Friday from complications of cancer. She had 88 years.
The socialite died at her Stanford home, designer Stanlee Gatti confirmed to various media outlets.
Friends and family called her a true San Franciscan, she was from Texas, who helped make the city look better. As the city’s chief of protocol for more than five decades, she aided consuls general, solidified ties with sister cities, and promoted San Francisco with visiting dignitaries.
“He had a remarkable talent for organizing events and representing our city with dignity and class, including welcoming foreign heads of state,” said US Senator Dianne Feinstein, former mayor of San Francisco. “Charlotte really put San Francisco on the map as an international city.”
Shultz was married three times, including to real estate developer Melvin Swig, owner of the Fairmont Hotel. She died of cancer in 1993. In February, she lost her third husband, former US Secretary of State George Shultz, who died at the age of 100.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, also a former San Francisco mayor, called her “an exceptional civic leader, a dedicated public servant and a treasured friend.”
Shultz organized public events, including parades for the 49ers and the San Francisco Giants. He sat at the blackboards at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Symphony, and the San Francisco Ballet.
Charlotte Smith was raised in the small town of Borger, Texas, by parents who owned a nickel and dime store, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, merchandising, and fashion design.
Shultz lived in Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles before moving to San Francisco.
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