Ann "Stevie" Spaulding Wilberding

ANN "STEVIE" SPAULDING WILBERDING, 64, died November 1st after a courageous two-year battle against cholangiocarcinoma, cancer of the bile duct, in her 64th year. A nine year resident of Casey Key in Nokomis, Florida she lived for extended periods in Tokyo, London, Riyadh and Mumbai. Her career was fragmented due to living and finding opportunities in many diverse environments while raising a family, but she is known as a world traveler, art historian, collector, philanthropist and author.

Stevie travelled to some 200 countries, including fifteen trips to diverse parts of Africa, and to little known parts of the Middle East and central Asia, usually in pursuit of knowledge of diverse cultures. She travelled in Eastern Europe in the early 1990’s in her role as Director of Women’s Program for International Executive Service Corps which provides experience and know-how to private sector organizations in developing countries.

She attended the Chrystie’s Fine Arts course in London in 1978 and worked at the Tate Gallery, subsequently becoming an active collector and philanthropist. She was also Curator of Fine Arts at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich for several years. She has been a major donor and/or fund raiser for the Tate Gallery and the British Museum, both in London, for the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, for the Al Nahda Princesses charity in Saudi Arabia, for the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL, for Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, FL, as well as for the Office of the Anglican Observer to the United Nations, among others. Collections include Ming porcelain, Turkomen tribal jewelry (exhibited at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT), contemporary Indian art (exhibited at the National Gallery in Bombay, India), and contemporary American art, as well as art of the Adirondacks.

While living in Saudi Arabia, Stevie wrote and published a “Guidebook to the Ruins of Dir’aiyah”, the mud-brick citadel which was the seat of the House of Saud. Stevie has also published “The Master of North Point”, the edited diaries of and commentaries about Robert W. Gibson, her husband’s maternal great grandfather, who emigrated from England as a young architect and designed many cathedrals and important public buildings in New York. Soon to be released is “Bloom Where You Are Planted”, a book of her life co-authored with her son Beau Wilberding, with assistance from Meg Bertini.

Stevie was a Director of Historic Spanish Point until her death and was involved with fund raising or directorship of numerous local organizations. She was a member of The Oaks Club in Osprey, the Bath Club of Nokomis, and the Ausable Club in St.Huberts, NY. She was a life-long Episcopalian and a parishioner of St. Mark’s Church, Venice where she and her husband were married 39 years ago. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Historic Spanish Point, 337 Tamiami Trail N., Osprey, FL34229 or St. Mark’s Church, 508 Riviera, Venice, FL 34285. A memorial service will be held at St. Marks Church Saturday, November 22nd at 11:00 a.m., to be followed by a reception at Historic Spanish Point.

Stevie is survived by her mother, Ann Spaulding, of Sarasota, by her husband, Stephen Van Cortlandt Wilberding, of Nokomis, FL, by her three children Van, Ashley (now Mrs. Olivier Balavoine) and Beau and six grandchildren.