Francis Alexander Shields | |
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| Born | Francis Alexander Shields Jr. (1941-05-16)May 16, 1941 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 2003(2003-04-25) (aged 61) Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Other names | Frank Shields |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingBrooke |
| Parents |
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| Relatives |
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Francis Alexander Shields Jr. (May 16, 1941 – April 25, 2003) was an American businessman and an executive atRevlon in New York City.[1][2] He was the father of actressBrooke Shields.[3]
Shields was born in New York City.[1] He was the eldest son ofFrancis Xavier Alexander Sr., a top-ranking American tennis player andDavis Cup winner, and ItalianPrincess Donna Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi.[2][1] After his parents' divorce, his father married Katharine Mortimer in 1949.[4]
He attended theBuckley School inManhattan andSt. Paul's School inConcord, New Hampshire.[1] He attended in theUniversity of Pennsylvania.[1] While at Penn, he captained the crew thatrowed in theHenley Royal Regatta in 1962 and was a member ofSt. Anthony Hall.[5]
Shields began his career with Wall Street brokerageLoeb Rhoades.[1] He then worked in sales and marketing for cosmetics firmsRevlon andEstee Lauder.[1] He also worked for Handy Associates, an executive recruiting firm in New York City.[1]
He formed his own real estate firm, Frank Shields Associates, inPalm Beach, Florida in 1989.[1]
In 1964, Shields marriedMaria Theresia "Teri" Schmon.[3] They had a daughter,Brooke Christa Shields in 1965.[3] They divorced when their daughter was five months old.[6][3]
In 1970, he married Diana "Didi" Lippert, former wife of Thomas Gore Auchincloss[7] (son ofHugh D. Auchincloss). They had three daughters: Marina Torlonia Shields, Olympia Torlonia Shields, and Christina Torlonia Shields.[8]
An avid hunter and fisherman, Shields spent much of his free time at Canoe Creek, at a camp he owned in rural west Florida.[1]
He was a longtime member of The Brook, The Bath and Tennis Club inPalm Beach, Florida,Piping Rock Club, and The Racquet and Tennis Club.[1]
In 1980, Shields founded the Power Ten, a New York nonprofit organization supporting youth rowing and making contributions to the U.S. National rowing team and U.S. Olympic rowing team through the National Rowing Foundation andRow New York.[5][9]
In 2003, Shields died in Palm Beach, of a "protracted illness" at the age of 61.[1] After his death, the National Rowing Foundation offered the Frank Shields Fellowships.[5]