Georganne Conley

Georganne Gettler Conley Whose roots lay in the Midwest but whose heart belonged to San Francisco, died at home of complications from lung cancer on Sunday, September 26, surrounded by her family and friends. Georganne was born on February 21, 1930 and grew up in Hannibal, Missouri. She moved to California in 1945 with her parents Warren and Genevieve Gettler and her brother Warren, arriving by train at the University Avenue station in Berkeley on V-J Day. Georganne was a graduate of Lowell High School and attended the University of Oregon. When financial matters required her to withdraw from college, she worked at Ransohoff's and Liebes department stores and at the law firm Morrison and Knudsen. She later became a realtor and opened her own successful firm, Conley, Bryk, and Beckwith. Georganne was also active in Democratic Party politics and the civil rights and anti-war movements. In July 1952, Georganne married San Francisco native Lloyd Dinkelspiel, Jr., whom she met at Lowell. The marriage lasted 10 years and produced three children, Lloyd, Steven, and Frances Dinkelspiel. In December 1968, Georganne married again, to Scott Conley, a prominent trial and appellate attorney at Sedgwick, Detert, Moran, and Arnold. They had 42 wonderful years together. Scott, his three children from his previous marriage, Terry, Jim, and Katherine Conley, and Georganne and her children became a tight-knit clan. Family always came first for Georganne and she especially delighted in spending time with her grandchildren, Emma and Eli Dinkelspiel, Logan Dinkelspiel, Charlotte and Juliet Wayne and Gora Conley. She also adored her children's spouses, Gary Wayne, Pamela Rose Dinkelspiel, and Jeana Dinkelspiel. Georganne had a special ability to draw others into her extended family and became a "second mother" to many, particularly Jeffrey Narin and Thuzar Than Tin. Georganne had a fantastic eye for design and often counseled her real estate clients about how to stage their homes. She remodeled all of her own houses herself, turning them into spacious, elegant, and light-filled places to live. She was also a fabulous cook and thought nothing of whipping up a meal for 10. Georganne's homes were always particularly welcoming and became a central gathering place for all. There was nothing she liked better than sitting and talking with friends and family at the dining room table- unless, perhaps, it was talking on the phone! For Georganne making friends was simple. As she explained, "Offer up a small secret of your of your own a gaffe or unhappy error and you will often find a similar secret shared with you. And then you have a new friend." Her honesty and directness were a hallmark and earned her great loyalty and admiration. Many people considered her among their closest friends. In recent years, Georganne served as a director of The Mechanics' Institute, the oldest private library west of the Mississippi, and tutored school children through the Jewish Coalition for Literacy. When Georganne's health began to fade a month ago, she showed enormous courage and calm about her impending demise. She announced that she had led a rich, full life and said she shouldn't be "greedy" about wanting more. Her approach to her final days was typical of her direct, resolute manner and was an inspiration to those around her. Services will be held at Temple Emanu-el in San Francisco at 10:30 am on Thursday, October 7. Donations in her honor may be made out to the Mechanics' Institute and sent to 57 Post St., San Francisco, 94104.