Dodie Rosekrans A Life Well-Lived 1919 - 2010 The life of Dodie Rosekrans was graced with charm, style and kindness. Born Georgette Barbara Naify, she was raised in San Francisco along with her brothers Marshall and Robert Naify. Their father Michael was a pioneer in the young motion picture industry. Dodie attended Grant school, and then the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Her schooling in Switzerland was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. In 1941 Dodie married Edward Topham Jr. and moved to Atherton where they raised three sons, Michael, John and Ned. Sadly this chapter of her life was cut short by the premature death of her husband and, shortly thereafter, her oldest son Michael. In 1960 Dodie married John N. Rosekrans, a descendant of the noted Spreckels family. In John, Dodie found the perfect partner for the creative life that she envisioned. Together they led the campaign to rebuild the Legion of Honor after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. They created the Runnymede Sculpture Farm on a family property in the hills of Woodside. Dodie contributed contemporary sculpture to the Center Pompidou in Paris and hosted legendary balls to underwrite the preservation of Venice. In 1998 she was awarded France's Legion of Honor for her support of French culture. Her homes in Paris and Venice, created by Tony Duquette, were always filled with an eclectic mix of artists and designers, Bohemians and dignitaries. Dodie spent her final years in her San Francisco home surrounded by family. On November 6, she yielded to the frailties of her ninety-one years and died peacefully at her home. Dodie is survived by her brother Robert, sons John and Ned Topham, stepsons John and Peter Rosekrans, four grandchildren, Michael, Rhet, Ned and Christian, five step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Farrel and William. A celebration of the life of Dodie Rosekrans for her friends and family is planned for early December. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco-Legion of Honor would be appreciated.
Dodie Rosekrans A Life Well-Lived 1919 - 2010 The life of Dodie Rosekrans was graced with charm, style and kindness. Born Georgette Barbara Naify, she was raised in San Francisco along with her brothers Marshall and Robert Naify. Their father Michael was a pioneer in the young motion picture industry. Dodie attended Grant school, and then the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Her schooling in Switzerland was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. In 1941 Dodie married Edward Topham Jr. and moved to Atherton where they raised three sons, Michael, John and Ned. Sadly this chapter of her life was cut short by the premature death of her husband and, shortly thereafter, her oldest son Michael. In 1960 Dodie married John N. Rosekrans, a descendant of the noted Spreckels family. In John, Dodie found the perfect partner for the creative life that she envisioned. Together they led the campaign to rebuild the Legion of Honor after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. They created the Runnymede Sculpture Farm on a family property in the hills of Woodside. Dodie contributed contemporary sculpture to the Center Pompidou in Paris and hosted legendary balls to underwrite the preservation of Venice. In 1998 she was awarded France's Legion of Honor for her support of French culture. Her homes in Paris and Venice, created by Tony Duquette, were always filled with an eclectic mix of artists and designers, Bohemians and dignitaries. Dodie spent her final years in her San Francisco home surrounded by family. On November 6, she yielded to the frailties of her ninety-one years and died peacefully at her home. Dodie is survived by her brother Robert, sons John and Ned Topham, stepsons John and Peter Rosekrans, four grandchildren, Michael, Rhet, Ned and Christian, five step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Farrel and William. A celebration of the life of Dodie Rosekrans for her friends and family is planned for early December. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco-Legion of Honor would be appreciated.
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