Christian de Guigné IV

1937 - 2019

Christian de Guigné IV

March 13, 1937 - October 20, 2019

Christian de Guigné IV, a fifth-generation California native, died peacefully in San Mateo on October 20, 2019.

Mr. de Guigné was born on March 13, 1937 and raised in Hillsborough, California. He was the son of business executive Christian de Guigné III and Eleanor Christenson de Guigné, an elegant mainstay of the "International Best-Dressed List," who gifted much of her haute couture collection to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. His great-grandfather, Count Christian de Guigné, descended from French nobility and, after moving to America, co-founded the Stauffer Chemical and Leslie Salt companies. His great-grandmother, Mary Katherine Parrott, was the daughter of a Gold Rush-era banker whose family estate on the Peninsula gave rise to the Baywood neighborhood in San Mateo.

Mr. de Guigné attended the Thacher School in Ojai, California and the Gunnery in Washington, Connecticut. In the summer of his sixteenth year, Mr. de Guigné began his first job at Darcy's Sporting Goods in San Mateo, and after serving in the United States Marine Corps, he began his career in labor relations at Stauffer Chemical Company in New York.

Mr. de Guigné was a preeminent expert on firearms and an avid collector of antique weapons and wristwatches.

An ardent lover of Northern California and its history, Mr. de Guigné enjoyed spending time outdoors and had a deep respect for all animals and wildlife.

For more than thirty years, Mr. de Guigné served on the board of The Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation. He served as President of the Society of California Pioneers and was a member of the Brook in New York, the Bohemian Club, the Burlingame Country Club, the Cypress Point Club, and the Pacific Union Club.

Mr. de Guigné is survived by his ever-adoring family: Vaughn Hills de Guigné, and their two daughters, Alyson and Eleanor.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Mr. de Guigné's family asks that donations be made to The Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation, 1501 Trousdale Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010, or Mission Hospice and Home Care, 1670 S Amphlett Blvd #300, San Mateo, CA 94402, or the charity of your choice.