Businessmen and Philanthropist. He was the son of a dairy farmer and a housewife. Raised in San Rafael, California, where he attended a Catholic school and eventually won a scholarship to St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, which meant he had a daily commute from Marin County by train, ferry, and bus.
Al took over the family's business at only age 17, after his father died. Along with his brother Jack, he built the Wilsey-Bennett Company, which would become one of the largest privately-owned businesses in the Bay Area. The Wilsey Bennett Co. made edible oils, fats, margarine and foil pack butters, as well as institutional and other brand-name products.
Mr. Wilsey soon became known for his philanthropy, giving millions to the arts and education. He donated millions to his favorite organizations. Among them were the Fine Arts Museums, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Opera, Conservatory of Flowers, and St. Ignatius Church and High School, where he helped to build a new library. He donated to Clinic Ole in Napa Valley for migrant workers, the Food Bank, and Delancey Street Cafe in San Francisco.
He also became well known in the city for his numerous appearances in the San Francisco society columns, appearing regularly in news items written by the late Herb Caen and Pat Steger.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Wilsey also began working in real estate development with partner, Gerson Bakar. Their residential and commercial projects included San Francisco's Levi Plaza, Northpoint Mall, and 101 Lombard Condominium project.
Mr. Wilsey was married four times, first to Doris Duisenberg, Lorraine Gaviati, Pat Montandon (who had been previously married to attorney Melvin Belli), and finally Diane "Dede" Dow Traina, whose great-grandfather founded Dow Chemical Company.
He served on numerous boards and gave scholarships to students at Immaculate Conception Academy and other schools.
He was a pilot and loved to fly airplanes and owned a Hughes helicopter, stored at the hangar at his home in Napa. On coast-to-coast trips to Rhode Island, he preferred to fly himself in his helicopter with a friend along to navigate the two-and-a-half day trip. He made over a dozen coast-to-coast round-trips over the years.
Mr. Wilsey's health began to fail in the 1990s. In 1991 he suffered a severe bout of pneumonia, had a quadruple bypass operation in 1997, then suffered a stroke in August 2001.
He died quietly, riding to a hospital appointment in the family car while his wife Dede was driving.
Al took over the family's business at only age 17, after his father died. Along with his brother Jack, he built the Wilsey-Bennett Company, which would become one of the largest privately-owned businesses in the Bay Area. The Wilsey Bennett Co. made edible oils, fats, margarine and foil pack butters, as well as institutional and other brand-name products.
Mr. Wilsey soon became known for his philanthropy, giving millions to the arts and education. He donated millions to his favorite organizations. Among them were the Fine Arts Museums, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Opera, Conservatory of Flowers, and St. Ignatius Church and High School, where he helped to build a new library. He donated to Clinic Ole in Napa Valley for migrant workers, the Food Bank, and Delancey Street Cafe in San Francisco.
He also became well known in the city for his numerous appearances in the San Francisco society columns, appearing regularly in news items written by the late Herb Caen and Pat Steger.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Wilsey also began working in real estate development with partner, Gerson Bakar. Their residential and commercial projects included San Francisco's Levi Plaza, Northpoint Mall, and 101 Lombard Condominium project.
Mr. Wilsey was married four times, first to Doris Duisenberg, Lorraine Gaviati, Pat Montandon (who had been previously married to attorney Melvin Belli), and finally Diane "Dede" Dow Traina, whose great-grandfather founded Dow Chemical Company.
He served on numerous boards and gave scholarships to students at Immaculate Conception Academy and other schools.
He was a pilot and loved to fly airplanes and owned a Hughes helicopter, stored at the hangar at his home in Napa. On coast-to-coast trips to Rhode Island, he preferred to fly himself in his helicopter with a friend along to navigate the two-and-a-half day trip. He made over a dozen coast-to-coast round-trips over the years.
Mr. Wilsey's health began to fail in the 1990s. In 1991 he suffered a severe bout of pneumonia, had a quadruple bypass operation in 1997, then suffered a stroke in August 2001.
He died quietly, riding to a hospital appointment in the family car while his wife Dede was driving.
Businessmen and Philanthropist. He was the son of a dairy farmer and a housewife. Raised in San Rafael, California, where he attended a Catholic school and eventually won a scholarship to St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, which meant he had a daily commute from Marin County by train, ferry, and bus.
Al took over the family's business at only age 17, after his father died. Along with his brother Jack, he built the Wilsey-Bennett Company, which would become one of the largest privately-owned businesses in the Bay Area. The Wilsey Bennett Co. made edible oils, fats, margarine and foil pack butters, as well as institutional and other brand-name products.
Mr. Wilsey soon became known for his philanthropy, giving millions to the arts and education. He donated millions to his favorite organizations. Among them were the Fine Arts Museums, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Opera, Conservatory of Flowers, and St. Ignatius Church and High School, where he helped to build a new library. He donated to Clinic Ole in Napa Valley for migrant workers, the Food Bank, and Delancey Street Cafe in San Francisco.
He also became well known in the city for his numerous appearances in the San Francisco society columns, appearing regularly in news items written by the late Herb Caen and Pat Steger.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Wilsey also began working in real estate development with partner, Gerson Bakar. Their residential and commercial projects included San Francisco's Levi Plaza, Northpoint Mall, and 101 Lombard Condominium project.
Mr. Wilsey was married four times, first to Doris Duisenberg, Lorraine Gaviati, Pat Montandon (who had been previously married to attorney Melvin Belli), and finally Diane "Dede" Dow Traina, whose great-grandfather founded Dow Chemical Company.
He served on numerous boards and gave scholarships to students at Immaculate Conception Academy and other schools.
He was a pilot and loved to fly airplanes and owned a Hughes helicopter, stored at the hangar at his home in Napa. On coast-to-coast trips to Rhode Island, he preferred to fly himself in his helicopter with a friend along to navigate the two-and-a-half day trip. He made over a dozen coast-to-coast round-trips over the years.
Mr. Wilsey's health began to fail in the 1990s. In 1991 he suffered a severe bout of pneumonia, had a quadruple bypass operation in 1997, then suffered a stroke in August 2001.
He died quietly, riding to a hospital appointment in the family car while his wife Dede was driving.
Al took over the family's business at only age 17, after his father died. Along with his brother Jack, he built the Wilsey-Bennett Company, which would become one of the largest privately-owned businesses in the Bay Area. The Wilsey Bennett Co. made edible oils, fats, margarine and foil pack butters, as well as institutional and other brand-name products.
Mr. Wilsey soon became known for his philanthropy, giving millions to the arts and education. He donated millions to his favorite organizations. Among them were the Fine Arts Museums, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Opera, Conservatory of Flowers, and St. Ignatius Church and High School, where he helped to build a new library. He donated to Clinic Ole in Napa Valley for migrant workers, the Food Bank, and Delancey Street Cafe in San Francisco.
He also became well known in the city for his numerous appearances in the San Francisco society columns, appearing regularly in news items written by the late Herb Caen and Pat Steger.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Wilsey also began working in real estate development with partner, Gerson Bakar. Their residential and commercial projects included San Francisco's Levi Plaza, Northpoint Mall, and 101 Lombard Condominium project.
Mr. Wilsey was married four times, first to Doris Duisenberg, Lorraine Gaviati, Pat Montandon (who had been previously married to attorney Melvin Belli), and finally Diane "Dede" Dow Traina, whose great-grandfather founded Dow Chemical Company.
He served on numerous boards and gave scholarships to students at Immaculate Conception Academy and other schools.
He was a pilot and loved to fly airplanes and owned a Hughes helicopter, stored at the hangar at his home in Napa. On coast-to-coast trips to Rhode Island, he preferred to fly himself in his helicopter with a friend along to navigate the two-and-a-half day trip. He made over a dozen coast-to-coast round-trips over the years.
Mr. Wilsey's health began to fail in the 1990s. In 1991 he suffered a severe bout of pneumonia, had a quadruple bypass operation in 1997, then suffered a stroke in August 2001.
He died quietly, riding to a hospital appointment in the family car while his wife Dede was driving.
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