Ambassador John Loeb celebrated his 94th-and-a-half birthday with a black tie dinner orchestrated by his wife Sharon at a private club in Manhattan for more than 150 of his closest friends and family including his children, Alexandra Loeb Driscoll and Nick Loeb, his grandchildren, and cousins Rita and Charles Bronfman.
Palm Beachers in attendance included Stuart and Wilma Bernstein, David and Jennifer Fischer, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Earle and Carol Mack, Marquis Elie de Dampierre, Judy and Leonard Lauder, John Paulson and Alina DeAlmeida, Daisy Soros, Dana and Bob Kraft, Ginger and Larry Leeds, Gil Kemp, Ronnie Heyman, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, Lynne Wheat, Phyllis and Bill Mack, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Deborah Norville and Karl Wellner, Ghislain d’Humières, Carol and Philippe Delouvrier, Jackie Weld Drake, Victoria Wyman, Scott Snyder, Diane and John Sculley, Kim Heirston, Kristen and Charlie Krusen, Vera Serrano, Kira Young, Christine & George Ledes, Cece and Lee Black, and Michelle and Peter Worth.
Sharon welcomed guests saying if she couldn’t bring “Mohammed to the mountain,” she would have to “bring the mountain to Mohammad,” and that she did. It wasn’t possible to bring all of John’s friends to his beloved family home, Ridgeleigh, in Westchester County, so she brought what seemed like all the fauna and flora from their 68-acre country estate to the party! Invitations were designed to open like the gates of Ridgeleigh, which has been owned by the Loeb family since the 1920’s, and when guests arrived, they were greeted by Sharon and John standing at “the gates.” The grand hall, bar, and main dining room of the club were filled with cherry blossoms, apple trees, and weeping willows. Meanwhile, each table was named after a different flower and decorated with wonderfully fragrant fruit and florals from the property.
Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr. and Mrs. Sharon Loeb.
During dinner, a poem called “Ridgeleigh,” written by John when he was a student at Harvard, was read by his grandson, Aiden Driscoll, and a humorous and insightful video of John’s illustrious life was shown featuring scenes from their home which now spans five generations of the the Loeb family. It was a wonderful and inspiring evening full of love, life, friendship, and family.
Dana & Bob Kraft with John Loeb.
Jennifer & David Fischer with John Loeb.
Pam & Ed Pantzer and Alina DeAlmeida & John Paulson.
Jamee & Peter Gregory and Deborah Norville & Karl Wellner.
Carol Mack, Mark Gilbertson and Kristen & Charlie Krusen.
John Loeb and Stuart Bernstein.
Judy and Leonard Lauder.
Daisy Soros, Ghislain d’Humières and Lynne Wheat.
Mary McDonnell Davidson and John Rosenwald.
Scott Snyder, Ronnie Heyman and Somers Farkas.
Linda Lampert, Jeffrey Pfeifle and David Granville with John Loeb.
Michelle & Peter Worth and Valerie Post.
Coco & Ari Kopelman and Ginger & Larry Leeds.
Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia and Lisa Simonsen.
Victoria Wyman and Elie de Dampierre.
John Loeb with his daughter, Alexandra Driscoll Loeb, and son, Nick Loeb.
Aiden Driscoll and Aaron Bronfman.
Kate Fitzgerald and Allegra Driscoll.
Wine from John’s private stash.