This photo captures one of the many magical San Francisco nights with the always glamorous, Diane Shields.  From left to right, beloved friends, Tom Cacciotti, Robert W. Richards, Dorris Carr, Diane and me! She was my publicist, my friend and my champion. Diane was a genius PR person who packed my debut shows at The Plush Room with the most loving and dedicated public relations program one could imagine. I believe she had the SF Chronicle refer to me as “the King of Cabaret.”  Ok! Well, thank you.  

Diane, you were a treasure and every moment in your presence was a gift.  Thank you for everything.  You will always be with me. Xoxo

My most sincere condolences to the family of the inimitable Diane Shields. I was friends with Diane during her last 10 years in San Francisco and spending time with her was like being  caught up in some exciting caper. A true San Francisco luminary, Diane had boundless energy  matched only  by her boundless generosity. She went everywhere and seemed to know everyone. Catching a glimpse of her black Jaguar, tooling around the better neighborhoods of town, always made my heart skip a beat. Where Diane went, fun followed. It was such a loss to San Francisco when Diane decided to leave to go spend time with her beloved sister and family in Oregon, but I know she found a certain serenity there  which she shared in her many letters to me. Rest in peace, dear Diane.

Our hotel owner threw the pre-opening team a holiday party during the pre-opening days of the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in SF in December 1983. Here we are with Diane (I'm in the far back, with the "exit" sign near my head.

Diane had a great sense of humor and those were fun days, though we also had our share of frustrations over the fits and starts regarding the hotel's pace of construction - but it brought us closer as a team. Diane was always pushing for doing things in a sophisticated way, first-class. She was unquestionably a key component in putting that hotel on the map. She was a favorite among customers and the SF hotelier community, too.

I remember the first day after she hired me, I walked into the pre-opening offices at 111 Pine Street and asked her for the sales files for my territory (the eastern USA). Diane smiled at me coyly and said, 'Why Gary, there are no sales files for your territory - that's why I hired you!" 

I did a short story on her for a wonderful motivational moment in my upcoming book "Twist the Familiar" - I am so very sorry that she did not live to see my book get published (due out this month). She was flattered that I would put something about her in my book.  I am happy to do it.

I will miss her and our fun phone calls and emails over the years. My condolences to her family.

Dianne was my favorite boss in the hotel business part of my life, and I told her that on several occasions. She hired me in the fall of 1983 for a pre-opening sales team (Rama Renaissance - now Parc 55), and then promoted me to director of sales when the hotel opened in October 1984. I so enjoyed working for her, and I am crushed she is gone. She was one of my mentors, always classy and we had a ton of laughs, too. We stayed in touch over the years quite often, and I so looked forward to her hand-written Xmas cards to me and my wife. I have mentioned her in my upcoming book, so I hope someone from the family sees this and will get a copy when it is released later this month ("Twist the Familiar"). I tell the story of a very memorable motivational moment she gave me. I told her a couple of years back that she would be in my book, and she was flattered. I am very sad that she did not live to see my book and my comments about her. Her entire family has my sympathies for your loss. She was a "grand lady" - sophisticated yet given to giggling about some of the silliest things we would encounter and some of the people we came across in our work.  She loved my recollections of those days when we spoke on the phone. I'm the guy in the left of the photo checking my watch. I will miss her very much, and am proud to have known her, worked for her, and been a friend of hers. to. Gary Hernbroth gary@trainingforwinners.com

While I have not seen Diane for some time having left the US since working together at the Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco,   although we spoke from time to time in the years after, I felt so sad to hear the news about lovely Diane.

Especially with me being a "beginner" in the US at the time, she was so supportive, patient!, smart, fun to work with and be around, with her constant broad, beautiful smile and ready sense of humour.  

She even lent me her chic Benz coupé occasionally (reg. Diane1 !) when she was out of town.

I am sure that she will be deeply missed by many; my sincere condolences to her family and friends.

I am devastated to learn of Diane's passing.  I just called her today (Jan 16), her birthday to send her greetings.  When the cell phone number was disconnected my heart sank.  Diane was the first person who hired me out of college and she said because she liked my coat it was one of the reasons she hired me! Classic Diane.  We had SO many fun times in the Mandarin Oriental office and she was not only a mentor (to this day I still use her calendarization system), a great friend, but also someone I admired deeply.  Our love of all things classic San Francisco provided endless conversations.  Our Trader Vic stories are many and our shared love of life will forever be a part of me.  Rest in peace, dear Diane.  Use your executive skills in heaven . . . keep God on track.

It is so very difficult to come to terms with Diane's passing. She was a mentor in business and in life. I hate the thought we won't ever have hour long chats with memories, giggles, gossip & updates on theatre, movies, books, fashion, etc.
I am comforted by the many wonderful times together in San Francisco, New York & then Portland/Williamette Valley.
Truly in a class of her own & a life well lived. 
May she rest in peace. I am so thankful of our decades of friendship.
Sincerely, 
Linda Bruno

I'm heartbroken. I would have given anything to have seen DS (my pet name for Diane) another time. To learn about this six weeks after the fact is incredibly painful. May my dear friend rest in peace. 🕊️

A very dear friend and wonderful lady who is sorely missed by those of us who had the good fortune to know and love her. Diane was one of a kind. A very special kind. ❤️

Diane had an incredible public relations career in the San Francisco hospitality industry for years with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Financial District and the famous landmark Mark Hopkins Hotel atop Nob Hill.  May she rest in peace.
- Marsha Monro-

A long and loving friendship with Diane in San Francisco including her years associated with many exclusive hotels, the Plush Room Cabaret/partner, the Mabel Mercer Foundation/NYC and of course our many evenings having dinner at the famous Harris Steak House.

OBITUARIO

Diane Carol Shields

16 enero, 1939 – 22 noviembre, 2023

Finley-Sunset Hills Mortuary & Sunset Hills Memorial Park

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