Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, the long-reigning chief of San Francisco protocol and unofficial aide to 10 mayors, died Friday of complications from cancer. She was 88.
The socialite died at her Stanford home, designer Stanlee Gatti confirmed to multiple news outlets.
Friends and family called her a true San Franciscan — she was from Texas — who helped the city look its best. As the city's chief of protocol for more than five decades, she assisted consuls general, solidified bonds with sister cities and promoted San Francisco with visiting dignitaries.
FILE - Edwin Lee, left, who was named interim mayor of San Francisco, smiles with San Francisco Chief of Protocol Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, at City Hall in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011. Shultz, the long-reigning chief of San Francisco protocol and unofficial aide to 10 mayors, died Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, of complications from cancer. She was 88. (AP PhotoPaul Sakuma, File)
“She had a remarkable talent for organizing events and representing our city with dignity and class, including hosting foreign heads of state,” said U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a 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, who owned the Fairmont Hotel. He died of cancer in 1993. In February, she lost her third husband, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, who died at the age of 100.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a former San Francisco mayor, called her an “exceptional civic leader, dedicated public servant and treasured friend.”
Shultz organized public events, including parades for the 49ers and San Francisco Giants. She sat on the boards of 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 ran a five and dime store, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in marketing, merchandising and fashion design.
Shultz lived in Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles before moving to San Francisco.