Mary Jane Wick

Mary Jane Wick, a longtime supporter and personal friend of Ronald and Nancy Reagan and a civic leader in both Los Angeles and Washington D.C., died Thursday, May 7th, of natural causes at her Los Angeles home. She was 84.

Mrs. Wick was married to the late Charles Z. Wick, the longest serving Director of the United States Information Agency. The Wicks were married for 61 years.

Mrs. Ronald Reagan said of her friend of more than 50 years, "In the 1950's, Ronnie and I met Mary Jane while grilling hotdogs for fundraisers at the school where our children attended together. After that, Mary Jane served on all of Ronnie's campaigns and both of Ronnie's presidential inaugural committees… For as long as I can remember, our families have shared holidays and birthdays together, in fact Christmas Eve was always at the Wicks, even during our years at the White House." Mrs. Reagan added, "Mary Jane was almost single handedly responsible for picking the pockets of our friends and supporters to build the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library."

An avid fundraiser for the Reagan Library, Mrs. Wick served as a Trustee for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation since its inception, and the Mary Jane Wick Gallery was named in her honor. An effortless hostess who made CEOs and world leaders equally comfortable in her home, Mary Jane Wick never hesitated to use her charm and elegance to fundraise for the many worthy causes she championed.

When the Wicks moved to Washington D.C. in 1981, she became a member of the Board of Trustees of Ford's Theatre Society, served as Vice Chairman of the Board from 1985-1995, and was later named a Life Trustee. Paul Tetreault, Director of Ford's Theatre said of Mrs. Wick: "In her three decades of service to the Society, Mary Jane Wick's tireless devotion led to the fulfillment of the permanent endowment, which was established in 1985 to ensure the continuation of quality theatrical productions."

Both before and after her Washington years, Mrs. Wick made significant contributions to her Los Angeles community, where she and her husband Charles raised their five children. She joined the Board of Directors of the Veterans Park Conservancy in 1993, and fiercely advocated for the improvement and protection of the over 400 acres of the Los Angeles Medical Center and National Cemetery, ensuring that it be kept intact for our Veterans, free of commercial development and that its open space remain preserved. Mary Jane and Charles Wick were responsible for legislation naming and dedicating the Cemetery's chapel as the Bob Hope Veterans Chapel on Mr. Hope's 99th Birthday. Mary Jane Wick also served on the Board of Trustees of the Westlake School for Girls and as a member of The Colleagues for over 45 years.

Mrs. Wick was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She met Charles Wick at the home of Rudy Vallee. They became integral to the Los Angeles social scene and, later on, in the world of politics.

Mrs. Wick is survived by her five children, C.Z., Douglas, Pamela, Cynthia, and Kimberly, all of Los Angeles, and her nine grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation or the Alzheimer's Association.