Six ‘Great Chefs’ to Orchestrate Desserts

“The Great Dessert Chefs of Los Angeles” has become a joint endeavor of the 22 Los Angeles Philharmonic affiliate committees. More than 600 guests are expected to watch dessert chefs from six award-winning restaurants each prepare three of their irresistibles.

The Sunday event will be one of the first in the splendidly restored Crystal Ballroom of the historic Biltmore, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Erich Leinsdorf, in town to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will introduce the chefs: Daniel Juriens and Raymonde Richon (La Couronne), Beatrice Keech (Spago), Mark Carter (Bernard’s), Heinz Berchtholt (Max au Triangle), Herve Gillet (Les Anges) and Delphan Gomes (West Beach Cafe).

Patty Pillsbury, recently at the University of Colorado with husband Davis to visit sons Taylor and Patrick for Phi Delta Theta parents’ weekend activities, is chairman of the fete. She’s working with a committee starring Mmes. Gordon Binder, Howard Cantwell, James K. Casper, Steven Elowitt, William G. Findley, Lawrence C. Jones, K. J. Smallwood and also Andree L. Saadeh and Susan Shanks.

Mrs. F. Edward Chappelear of Palos Verdes is chairman of the Affiliates.

Descendants of pioneer families are opening their treasured albums and scrapbooks to share nostalgia of the late 19th and early 20th centuries with First Century Families at their 47th annual luncheon today at the Beverly Wilshire.

Assembling to renew old friendships will be descendants of pioneers who came to Southern California before or during the first 100 years after the founding of Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 1781.

Mrs. James H. Forgie, FCF archivist and a former chairman, will narrate the presentation.

A number of prominent citizens will be in the spotlight. One is Mrs. John A. Richards of Long Beach, descended from Frederick Preston Howard, an early importer of plants from tropic regions (including the palms that dot the city), and from Ozro Childs, who recognized the Southland as an agricultural oasis.

Mrs. Robert McLain will drive up from Newport. Her grandfather, William G. Kerckhoff, imported much of the timber used to build the city’s Victorian houses. Kerckhoff Hall at UCLA is named for him, and he also made major donations to Caltech, developed the early hydroelectric resources on the San Gabriel River and later in the San Joaquin Valley and was the first, according to the archives, to bring natural gas here from the Kern fields.

Alice O’Neill Avery, too, will participate. Descended from the Sepulvedas and Lanfrancos, she’s the granddaughter of Walter Moore, first chief engineer of Los Angeles in charge of the fire department and the horse-drawn pumps that raced to the fires that inevitably took place in those wooden Victorian houses.

Geraldine Fitzgerald, family historian for the Camarillos, is said to have magnificent photographs of family members participating in Santa Barbara fiestas. Lorraine Higuera Neblett will provide history on Rancho de las Aguas, begun in the 1830s at the corner of Sunset and Alpine. And Mrs. Louis W. Jones Jr. will be featuring her great-grandmother, Matilde Hammel, and Beverly Hills when it was the Hammel-Denker Ranch, specializing in the growing of beans.

Mrs. William J. Shirley heads the group as chairman and has done much of the research for the day, according to Mrs. Warren B. Williamson.

Loretta Young and June Haver MacMurray have joined the long list of guests who will welcome the new Los Angeles archbishop, the Most Rev. Roger Michael Mahony, to the Ladies of Charity’s Saint Louise de Marillac luncheon Tuesday in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton.

Mrs. W. Malcolm O’Donnell is luncheon chairman.

Keynoter will be the Most Rev. William J. Levada, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and Episcopal vicar for Santa Barbara County. Bobby Vinton is star vocalist and Kevin O’Connell of KCBS television news will be master of ceremonies.

Mrs. Jerry Fairbanks is co-chairman, and more on the luncheon committee are Mmes. A. V. Falcone, Daniel Warren Sooy, John M. Crowley, Brian Dockweiler Crahan, Carl Harris Frame, Charles De Angelo, Robert C. Jones, Leo F. Dohn, Fred J. Tabery, Carlos R. Orellana, Walter Kray, J. Gerard Prendergast, Conrad N. Hilton and Harry M. Volk.

Mrs. John Shiels Wilson is president of the Ladies of Charity, founded in 1948 with the aid of the late Countess Estelle Doheny.

Former Angelenos John and Martha Woodward of Palm Desert celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last weekend and the celebration was nearly eclipsed by his joy over winning a $5,000 lottery ticket. He developed the St. Anthony Oil Co., sold to Union Oil in the 1950s.

Their sons and daughters joining them for the informal dinner included Ira and Martha Marshall Jr., John and Sally Woodward, Don and Lucy Woodward, Richard Woodward, Larry and Laura Woodward and John and Marilyn Rauen.

A crowd of supporters of the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra joined president Albert C. Koch for a “couture” evening of cuisine and wines at Lud Renick’s La Couronne. PCO’s young conductor Robert Duerr was on hand; concertmaster Mayumi Ohira performed on the violin.

Among the group: Raymond and Diane Hester, Dr. Philip and Jan Muntz, the Richard L. Stevers, the Carson McKissicks, Gladys H. Jones, Kathy Gillespie and Margaret Sedenquist.

The American Children’s Theater, which in January begins restoration of the historic Criterion Theater on the Third Street mall in Santa Monica, hosts its first fund-raiser Wednesday at the Miramar-Sheraton, according to executive director Thom McFadden.

Board chairman Judge Robert H. London and board members, including John Ritter and Rosemarie and Bob Stack, are at work planning the $125-per-person evening. A trolley will shuttle guests between the Miramar and the theater, where there will be bands, balloons and entertainment by Connie Stevens.

It won’t be exactly puritanical, but the Lifelighters will join in some merriment Sunday at “A Thanksgiving Celebration” in the Sunset Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Mrs. Roland W. Lindhurst is taking reservations for the black-tie dinner dance.

Weekend Fun: California Rep. Edward R. Roybal will be honored at a fund-raising dinner Friday evening in the ballroom of the Bonaventure Hotel. Howard P. Allen, chairman of Southern California Edison Co., is chairman and will be joined at the head table by Dr. James Rosser, president of Cal State L.A.; actor Ricardo Montalban and actress Carmen Zapata. The occasion acknowledges the newly established Edward R. Roybal endowed chair in gerontology and public service at the university. . . .

All the excitement of Broadway comes to the University of Judaism on Saturday evening when the University Women present Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna in “It Had to Be You” in Gindi Auditorium. Tickets are $100. . . .

St. Luke’s Orthodox Church Ladies Society presents “Dynasty at the Ritz,” a fashion-show luncheon featuring the Dynasty Collection, in the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Adele Gallade is chairman. . . .

Judges of the Western Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council--Evelyn Lear, Carol Neblett, James King and Stephen Lord--will be honored at a black-tie dinner Saturday in the Cedar and Oak Rooms of the Century Plaza Hotel Tower. . . .

“The Butler’s in Love 9” is the fascinating cover on the invitation to a reception honoring painter Mark Stock. The event is Saturday, 5 and 7 p.m. at Tortue Gallery, 2917 Santa Monica Blvd. . . .

Frank and Barbara Davie host a Saturday-evening reception honoring Kentucky State University President and Mrs. Raymond Burse and alumni at a centennial celebration featuring John Forsythe. It’s in the Grand Salon of Le Mondrian Hotel. . . .

Mrs. Joseph Linsk heads Friday’s gala preview opening of Saks Fifth Avenue in Palm Springs, benefiting the Desert Hospital Foundation . . .

Sports celebrities George Allen and Bob Mathias are honorary co-chairmen of the “Bid for Kids” auction celebrating the “Coming of Age” and 21st birthday of the Boys and Girls Club of Whittier. The black-tie champagne reception and dinner is Saturday at the Anaheim Marriott, according to Dr. Leroy Trnavsky, chairman. . . .

Members of the Los Angeles Pops Orchestra, directed by Carlo Spiga, perform at a Harvest Brunch in Crocker Court at Crocker Center on Sunday. Several downtown businesses are sponsoring the benefit for self-help village projects of the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific.