Deborah Szekely
Szekely in 2003
Born
Deborah Shainman

(1922-05-03) May 3, 1922
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationWriter
Notable workCooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1939; div. 1970)​
Children2

Deborah Szekely (née Shainman, born May 3, 1922) is an American activist, philanthropist, and writer active in Southern California. She was named the "Godmother of Wellness" by the Huffington Post.[1] Szekely founded the New Americans Museum in Liberty Station.[2]

Biography

Szekely was the daughter of Jewish immigrants.[3] Her mother was a past vice-president of the New York Vegetarian Society.[4] Szekely worked as an assistant to Edmond Bordeaux Szekely.[5] They were married in 1939.[6][7] In 1940, the couple opened a camp in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, which they named Rancho la Puerta, where they could explore and test their ideas.[4] The couple had two children, Alexander and Sarah Livia.[5]

In 1958, Szekely opened the Golden Door, a smaller luxury spa property in San Diego and moved to Escondido, California in the 70's.[8] The spa attracted famous individuals such as Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Burt Lancaster, Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand.[8] In 1970, she and Edmund divorced and Szekely took over the operation of the Rancho la Puerta.[5]

She founded (COMBO), Combined Arts and Education Council of San Diego County in 1978, which has raised over $25 million to support 21 cultural organizations. In 1978, COMBO raised over $6 million to rebuild the Old Globe Theatre.[9] Szekely was a U.S. Diplomat and the head of the Inter-American Foundation from 1984-1990.[10]

In 1982, she ran for the United States House of Representatives as a Republican for the newly created 43rd Congressional District. She finished a close fourth place in the primary, slightly behind former professional football player Bill McColl, Carlsbad Mayor Ron Packard, and wealthy businessman Johnnie Crean. Crean won the primary by a very narrow margin.[11] Szekely refused to endorse Crean on the grounds that he waged a smear campaign against her and the other candidates. Packard ultimately won the general election by running as a write-in candidate.

In 2014, Szekely was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame by the Women's Museum of California, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Women's Center at UC San Diego, and the Department of Women's Studies at San Diego State University.[12]

Personal life

Szekely has been a vegetarian since the age of 4.[13] She supports tree planting.[13] Szekely turned 100 on May 3, 2022.[14]

Selected publications

  • Secrets of the Golden Door (1977)
  • Golden Door Cookbook: The Greening of American Cuisine (1982)
  • Vegetarian Spa Cuisine from Rancho LA Puerta (1992)
  • Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta (2008)

References

  1. ↑ Brenoff, Ann (3 May 2012). "Happy Birthday Deborah Szekely, Godmother Of The Wellness Movement". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Jennewein, Chris (1 April 2016). "San Diego Welcomes 47 Youths as Citizens in Unique Ceremony". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Blair, Tom (28 February 2012). "Philanthropist Szekely is a Perfect Fit". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 Szekely, Deborah (10 February 2004). "Waiter, There's a Guinea Pig in My Soup". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Gonzalez, Blanca (4 September 2010). "Behind Rancho La Puerto's Success". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Cosmos, Man and Society by Edmond Székely, The CW Daniel Company Ltd., Ashingdon, Rochford, Essex, England first published 1936
  7. ↑ "Biography of Edmund Bordeaux Szekely". Community of Peace. Archived from the original on 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  8. 1 2 "Californian Retreats: Golden Door, Escondido". The Huffington Post. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Deborah Szekely". Women's International Center. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  10. ↑ Sterman, Nan (18 January 2004). "Fusion Garden". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  11. ↑ https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=224956
  12. ↑ Rocha, Michael James (29 March 2014). "Women Honored for Inspirational Contributions". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  13. 1 2 "After Living, Traveling, and Learning Her Way to 100, Deborah Szekely Has Some Advice for You". afar.com. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Column: Deborah Szekely publishes a book on her 100th birthday". The San Diego Union-Tribune. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
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