She was the mother of my mother-in-law. I married her grandson. They owned a long-standing restaurant in Banker’s Hill called “Mister A’s”. Lady. Alessio was the wife of Mr. A. At one point in San Diego’s history, I heard that her style was legendary. And I promised you, it was well earned.
My in-laws, both generations, set the standard for elegance. They were an old family from San Diego with a rich history that I never really heard all of. I know that at one point they owned the Hotel Del Coronado, as well as the Kona Kai, just from family photos in their homes in those settings.
Many photos are taken at race tracks in which they also participated. In the movie “Casey’s Shadow,” my in-laws and their children were in box seats near the end of the movie, as they owned the Ruidoso Downs race track when the movie was made.
The first time I was invited to watch TV, I was wearing jeans and a sweater. My fiancé asked me if he planned to wash the car when he picked me up. When we arrived at Vila Rosa, I realized that some families dress up, put on jewelry, perfume, cologne (and a lot of each) to watch TV at home.
I won’t bore you with “over-the-top chic” stories, but my mother-in-law in a full-length mink at DisneyLand is one. Another is the night we met at the Vila when our wedding dress arrived from Sak’s Fifth Avenue: a beaded full-length Bob Mackie, no less! Good God, that thing glowed. We turned off the lights and it still lit up the room. Like her, many times.
My mother-in-law, Rose Marie, dressed to the nines from dawn to dusk and beyond. All the time. Every day. Always. She really had an amazing sense of style that never ceased. Even her dressing room was fabulous. Three cameras, one for bathroom, another for makeup and hair and a third for clothes, shoes, accessories, hats, jewelry. It was a fantasy.
From the more than 200 Alessios I met, I learned a lot. Some people name their houses. (They did) I also learned about some shadows from the past that haunt them to this day. Yesterday would have been my ex-husband’s 53rd birthday if he had lived.
I dedicate this column to you, Ron, for the love and grace you once brought into my life.
With love, The Once and Former Mrs. roses
