Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-02-12 NP Philanthropist to be honored (Juno Journal)North Palm philan thropist to he honored • By Betty French JOURNAL Staff Writer 7 7 - -George Delacorte, found- : e: of Dell Publishing Com- pany, will be honored by the Village of North Palm Beach at the Council meet- ; Thursday, Feb. 12, for 'his contribution to the Village. •• Delacorte has donated 6,00,030 to the town for the Valerie Delacorte Com- munity Center - a building long desired by the Village council. "I like to gi-ve my money aay in original ways," the Lost Tree resident said recently. "I have built se,,eral fountains in Nev' York, including one now being constructed in Times Square, and since I litre in North Palm Beach, I have decided to do something here," he explained. Delacc,rte, a trim healthy - looking 82 year old who appears nucb ,Tourlizer than his actual age, said that he had been contributing to the North Palm Beach Library to help them build up their art book collection when the former librarian, Jackie Zaborskie, introduc- ed him to the Mayor. "The Mayor said he needed a gym and a com- munity center, so gave them $600,000 and they got the land," Delacorte said simply. The philanthropist be- lieves that people who can afford it should give money to their community ®r ,charities before they die, rather than afterwards. "It's useless to wait," Delacorte said firmly. "You dOrt9t F-2,1r: the TJleasure that way. Giving money now makes my life inIeres- -Ling. I'm really amazed that so many people in Palm Beach are rich, yet they haven't given the town thing." one, of the contributions that tickles both Delacorte and his wife, 'Valerie, is the animated musical cock that now chimes the hours in the Central Park Zoo. Each hour a different animal plays a small instrument to the great fascination of visiting children. Delacorte also built the outdoor. theater in Central Park which is run by inpressario Joseph Pap, "No one else had such original ideas," Delacorte says, somewhat proudly. Delacorte admits to a certain element of luck in his achievements of wealth, but also says that originality was important here, too. "At 27 years of age, I founded Dell Publisihing. I was also the first one to publish children's comic books and the first pub- lisher fo paperback books. I used to buy English novels and then translate them into American," Delacorte laughed. (He explained that by saying if a Duke were in the story, he was changed to a wealthy businessman, and a housemaid would perhaps become E.-, secretary.) The North Palm Beach fect-te at -7,ork on a portrait of her husband, George. The Delacortes are residerits of Lost Tree Village. Valerie, a former European movie star, has taken up pvinting. Her husnand, George, the founder of De!! Publishing Company, has given the VilIFL-e of North Palm Beach $600,000 for a long awaited building to be called the Valerie Dclacorte Community Center. ill 'I/ HELPING the AT,COHOLI fi TA Lto/i r is a TREAr Disease. q I fi rri] ow Treatment fn, ; 9 . r • ' • L r rr 77 ."J lt PALM BEACH -MARTIN CGUNTY MEDICAL CENTER This 28 Day Residential Program is Covered by ililost Group Insurance Policies and Offers Both individual and Group Therapy for the Suffering Alcoholic and the Afflicted Family For Particulars Contact Fred WASS. Clinical Director. the P81 Hospital Program 1210 South Old Dixie Highway. Jupiter. Florida 33458 Telephone (305) 746 6602 / ,,_,2117,7273", "114.---310Mr vilrroarr—o-im Con2e (See Original Designs cairn 77 • [1.0 X, 3 /Lail e , ffci77 Residents of Cambridge at Heritage Ridge South elected their first slate of officers on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Named as president was Fred C. DeMatteis, Bill Hewitt will fill the post of executive vice president with Jack Simons as vice president. Treasurer is Ann Liberi and recording secre- tary, Phyliss Rote. Holding seats on the board of directors will be Don Bender, Neal Johnson, Len Norsen, Del Taylor and Waily Wallander. 0000000000000000000000000,0 18 55 e t 000000000000000 r0.0000000000 Our • • • C.JZ) /:5 6.11;,»__„;!r , 212r a .7-1-o6e c5ound 10 ,54 6 . epalf7125 y C) 7 0 ./M 70'es.-5ri. 10-S cal 10-3 named after Mrs. Valerie Delacorte. The couple -met in New York at a tithe when both were widowed and neither intended ever to marry again, Delacorte 3222:4 smiling fondly at his attractive, enthusiasAc wife. Valerie, a former Hun- garian movie star, was married to Gabriel Pascal, a friend and confidence of George Bernard Shaw. "CBS was a grouchy old man, but liked him," -Valerie Delacorte recalls. MTS. Delacorte eventually became an author, writing a book, "The Disciple and His Devil", about Pascal and GBS. The Vivacious Mrs. Dela- corte is now deeply involved in art. Although she only began painting in 1972, she is clearly talented. She displays some paint- ings in a baroque manner, the colors cheerful an contemporary. "The thing is to get Some new ideas into the baroque - perhaps some surrealism. Of course, I'm just in baby shoes -here. People try to encourage me by telling., me about Grandma Moses, but it doesn't cheer me up," she h-Lughs. "To be happily married, a couple must have the same tastes and same intel- lectual background," says Delac.orte. Educated at both Har- vard and Columbia univer- sities, and widely read, as befitting a publisher, George DeilaCOrte outs his ,sophy in literate terms. G'Carpe Diem," he says, translating, 'Seize the day. We have only one life t lead, so we have to enjoy life now. Tomorrow may be too late," Et is easy to see that eorge and 'Valerie Dela- corte do just that. • • • • • • I 0 19 0 GI o Co 0 Exc •. Qu • Infi • Rol cor ligt • Sta 1.3n • Co, Wa pla!