Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr. (May 12, 1913 – August 11, 1999) was an American sportsman and advertising executive.
Early life
Mortimer was born in Tuxedo, New York, on May 12, 1913. He was the eldest of six children born to Stanley Grafton Mortimer (1890–1947)[1] and Kathleen Hunt (nee Tilford) Mortimer (1890–1970).[2] His father was a stockbroker and U.S. amateur court tennis champion.[1] His siblings included Henry Tilford Mortimer,[3][1][4] Richard Mortimer;[1]John Jay Mortimer;[5] and Eve Mortimer[6] (who married Clarence Pell Jr. and, later, Lewis Cass Ledyard III).[7] His youngest sister, Katharine Mortimer, was married three times, including to Francis Xavier Shields (the grandfather of actress Brooke Shields).[8]
Mortimer grew up at Keewaydin, the family home in Tuxedo Park designed by Stanford White for Pierre Lorillard III.[12] His family, along with the Lorillards, were the founding families of Tuxedo Park.[13] His maternal grandfather was Henry Morgan Tilford, a Standard Oil founder.[14] His maternal grandmother was known as "one of the reigning dowagers of Tuxedo Park" for four decades. According to author Sally Bedell Smith, "her annual debutante dinners before the Autumn Ball determined which young women were approved for New York society."[15]
A renowned sportsman, Mortimer was a member of the Jockey Club, and his racing stable at Keewaydin was successful in France for many years. He also was an avid tennis player (a member of the Racquet and Tennis Club in New York) and golfer (a member of the National Golf Links in Southampton) who took part in hunting-dog field trials. He was also a member and governor of the Tuxedo Club.[15]
Jay Lawrance Mortimer (b. c. 1950), who married Prudence Bach in 1986.[27]
Averell Harriman Mortimer (b. c. 1956), who married Gigi H. Newhard in 1988.[28]
In 1969, Mortimer, who suffered from manic-depression, shot himself in what may have been a suicide attempt,[25] but survived.[24] Mortimer died on August 11, 1999, at his home in Harriman, New York.[15]
References
^ abcdStaff (April 6, 1947). "S.G. MORTIMER DIES". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2017.