Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 05:11:03 :
San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
A28
PADDLEFORD, George S. -- Palo Alto mourns the death of George Stetson Paddleford, pioneer Palo Alto car dealer, community leader, and father of the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance, who died at age 93 of natural causes on February 28 in Menlo Park. Nattily dressed and well-spoken, he epitomized the good manners and courtliness of another era, and was often described by friends and associates as "The Last Gentleman." Paddleford was a 65 year member and served as president of the Palo Alto Lions Club; was Concours Executive Director, and is honored in perpetuity with the creation of the George S. Paddleford Trophy awarded annually. He was honored with a George Paddleford Day Salute by the City of Palo Alto, and received a commendation from the House of Representatives by Representative Anna Eshoo. He was a founder and charter member of the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club. Throughout his prestigious career he was recipient of many honors, including a Craig P. Calkins Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the Concours, Community Service Award for "leadership and personal example" from Gleim Jewelers, the Avenida Senior Center Lifetime Achievement Award, and several Lions Club citations. He was joint founder of the Peninsula Executive Association and the Palo Alto Club, and a member of the Palo Alto Historical Society. In 1935 he founded Paddleford Cadillac LaSalle Oldsmobile. His franchise became the oldest in the US under the same ownership, for which GM honored Paddleford with a 50-Year Award of Appreciation. In the 1980s he opened Paddleford Isuzu on El Camino. Before he was finished, he had sold more than 50,000 cars. Upon his retirement in 1987, he was able to devote full time to his creation: the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance at Stanford and the charities it benefits. In 1967 Paddleford and fellow members of the Palo Alto Lions Club co-founded the classic car show as a fund-raiser for local charities. For 34 years, Paddleford labored tirelessly and devoted vast stores of energy, inspiration, and tenacity to his creation. Most gratifying for him was the over $1 million the Palo Alto Lions Charities donated to local worthy causes, including the Stanford Buck/Cardinal Club for Athletic Scholarships. George Stetson Paddleford (Stetson was his mother's maiden name) was born in Los Angeles on August 7, 1908, the only child of an oil executive. He attended Harvard Military Academy there and in 1931 graduated from Stanford University. After college, he pumped gas for General Petroleum in Palo Alto, and in 1935 purchased at age 27 the Pabst Cadillac Oldsmobile La Salle Dealership at Emerson and Homer Streets. The success of the Paddleford dealership rested on its reputation for integrity, service to the customer, and respect and consideration for his employees. Family and friends particularly recall Paddleford's wit and dry humor. At Lions Club meetings his quips and one-liners, often at his own expense, were welcome diversions and frequent ice-breakers. In addition to his wife of 30 years Esther, Paddleford is survived by his children (George S. Paddleford of Port Ludlow WA, Diane Palmer of Ocala FL, and Donna Miller of San Anselmo CA), step-children (Commander David D. Cameron of Scottsdale AZ and Victoria J. Hall of Fresno CA), three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 9, 2pm, at Roller & Hapgood & Tinney, 980 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Donations in George Paddleford's memory may be made to the Lions Hearing Foundation, 1030 Gettysburg Ave., Suite 100-D, Clovis, CA 93612 and Lions Eye Foundation, P.O. Box 7999, San Francisco CA 94120. Burial will take place at the Presbyterian Cemetery in Mendocino, California.
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