Heeren - Aimee de Sa Sattomajor, died at home
wednesday September 14 2006 of complications following pneumonia, aged 103.
Mrs Heeren was born in Castro in the Province of Parana, Brazil.
When they were still in her teens, Aimee and her sister Vera (Prettyman) accompanied their parents
to Rio de Janeiro, where the family settled.
Aimee was married young to a distant cousin, Luis Simoes Lopes,
the right hand man to President Getulio Vargas. The couple lived at the presidential palace.
The marriage lasted for a few years. Then, the two sisters, who by then were exotic beauties,
arrived at New York and immediately caused a stir due to theit charm and originality.
In 1941 Aimee met and later in the year, married Rodman Heeren,
the son of Fernanda Wanamaker of the Philadelphia department store dynasty,
and of Spanish diplomat Arturo Heeren.
Shortly after Rodman Heeren returned from the Pacific, where he served with the US Army,
the couple mooved to Europe, establishing a base in Biarritz, France,
from where they traveled frequently. Aimee, who had received only
a basic education in Brazil,
but armed with an all-consuming desire to learn,
went about collecting friends among aristocrats, intellectuals, and artists
who offered her their wisdom and experiance. Very quickly she learned to speak six languages,
not perfectly, but well enough so as to enable her to moove around society in a spectecular manner.
Initially she was admired for her beauty and her charm, but soon she became known
for her elegance, on one hand, and on the other for her graciousness as a hostess
and for her talent in creating exquisite decors within her homes.
She was elected to the Best Dressed List and later was admitted to the Fashion Hall of Fame,
not just for adhering to fashion but more for reinterpreting it with originality and taste.
She was the epitome of glamour, Rodman and Aimee maintained homes in Biarritz, New York,
and later, Palm Beach, houses which illustrated the development of her refined taste in decorating.
In her later years, her good health and extraordinary energy allowed her to lead an active life,
surrounded by friends of all ages. She was generous towards her friends and relations,
especially towards those who were less priviledged than she was. Undoubtedly she was one of the last
grand dames, and she will leave an imprint on her era.
She is survived by a daughter, Cristina Noble, and her granddaughter Victoria Noble. (article from the New York Times Sep 17 2006)
