George Stetson Paddleford
Aug. 7, 1908-Feb. 28, 2002
Palo Alto, California
George Stetson Paddleford, 93, a longtime resident of Palo Alto and Menlo Park, founder and owner of Paddleford Oldsmobile and father of the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance, died Feb. 28, 2002, of natural causes.
Born Aug. 7, 1908, in Los Angeles, he was the only child of an oil executive. He attended Harvard Military Academy there and spent many of his youthful summers in the oil fields of Mexico. In 1925 he arrived as an undergraduate at Stanford University to study the oil business. He received his diploma in 1931 and continued as a lifetime Stanford sports booster, a season-ticket holder for Stanford Football and Basketball, and attended the "Council of Chiefs" breakfasts for coaches and players held for many years at Stickneys restaurant.
After college, he pumped gas for General Petroleum Company in Palo Alto, for $90 a month. In 1935, with a $4,000 inheritance from an elderly aunt, he 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 its employees. The original building is now the site of Whole Foods Market, where current owners display a large vintage photo of the Paddleford dealership.
He 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 Avenidas 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.
His auto franchise became the oldest in the United States operating continuously under the same ownership, for which GM honored him with a 50-year Award of Appreciation. In the 1980s he opened Paddleford Isuzu on El Camino Real. Before he was finished, he had sold more than 50,000 cars.
In 1967 he, along with fellow members of the Palo Alto Host Lions Club Craig Calkins, Erv Austin and others, co-founded the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance at Stanford, a classic car show, as a fund-raiser for local charities. For 34 years, he labored tirelessly and devoted vast stores of energy, inspiration and tenacity to the Concours d'Elegance, transforming it into what is now one of the nation's premiere classic car shows. Most gratifying for him was the more than $1 million the Palo Alto Lions Charities donated to local worthy causes, including the Stanford Buck/Cardinal Club for Athletic Scholarships.
In addition to his loving wife Esther Paddleford of Menlo Park, he is survived by his children George S. Paddleford of Port Ludlow, Wash.; Diane Palmer of Ocala, Fla.; and Donna Miller of San Anselmo; step-children, Commander David D. Cameron of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Victoria J. Hall of Fresno; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Tags: business
