In this issue: Dede Rogers, she colored outside of the lines…
Dede had the way about her of shaking our collective consciousness
with her, you know, always-expect-the-unexpected mentality. Was it
her unpretentiousness, her laughter that could be heard across the
room, her genuine bear hug as she gathered friends and strangers for
a selfie, or the surprising pat on the bottom that became known as
her style of greeting?
She was Dede.
For decades Dede had a highly visible public presence. The world of
philanthropy was her realm -- she didn’t just talk the talk, her boots
walked the walk.
Purple was her favorite color, cowboy boots her preferred footwear.
She knew every time we’d talk about our commonalities every time
we met: non-profits, mutual friends, and always we spoke of Chanel.
My eyes always stared at the vintage, hand-forged, Chanel necklace
that I openly lusted for, and that she was rarely seen without.
