Caroline Rose Hunt Dies at 95
Dallas heiress, hotelier, and philanthropist Caroline Rose Hunt died Tuesday night at age 95.
Caroline Rose Hunt (Photo: David Woo)
The daughter of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt had a stroke on Oct. 31, media outlets reported.
She was at one time described as the wealthiest woman in the world, according to D Magazine. The magazine’s FrontBurner blog notes how she “transformed an Italian renaissance-inspired mansion on Turtle Creek into The Mansion on Turtle Creek, a luxury hotel that would house everyone from presidents to princes” and how she and her son “opened the The Crescent complex in 1986 with a $2 million party that included 800 pounds of jumbo shrimp, 200 baby Sonoma lambs, and 3,000 bottles of Champagne.”
(For a lesson in hospitality, read this 1997 feature on The Mansion).
Management at Crescent issued a statement about her death.
“Crescent is saddened to learn of the passing of Caroline Rose Hunt, and our deepest condolences go to the family. Mrs. Hunt was a bold and visionary leader who built the most iconic building in Dallas, The Crescent, which launched what has now become Uptown Dallas. Known for her extraordinary graciousness, she led the hospitality and real estate industries in establishing world-class service in every project she touched.
“Several of our employees started their careers with her, and her passion for top-quality customer service is the bedrock that drives Crescent’s culture today. She will be greatly missed.”
Hunt was also a co-founder of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Foundation.
“We share in the grief and also in the celebration of a big life and an extraordinary leader,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in a statement emailed to news outlets. “We are grateful for Caroline’s life and remember her in many ways as we journey forward. Most importantly, we strive to live up to her standard.”
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