parties

Rotary Club Honor Brings Lynn Wyatt to Tears — After Laughing About How She Proposed to Her Husband

Fulton Davenport
Rotary Club Honor Brings Lynn Wyatt to Tears — After Laughing About How She Proposed to Her Husband

Jerry Reyes, Lynn Wyatt and Douglas Drummond

IT WAS AN emotional afternoon for Lynn Wyatt. The doyenne of Houston society, dubbed "the original influencer," was the honoree at the Downtown Rotary Club's luncheon at the Bayou Place ballroom, and she didn't hold back the tears as she accepted an array of accolades from the group, including that Rotary's national Paul Harris Fellow Award, whose past winners have included Mother Theresa, Bill Gates and Bob Hope.

"I don't know what to say," she said, "so I'm just gonna cry." Her sons Brad and Trey joined her at her table.

The awards were handed off after a video was presented in which a wonderfully candid Wyatt told little known tales of her life. In one anecdote, she explained how, during their courtship, her now husband Oscar bet her $1 million that she would propose to him, and not the other way around. Her beau, an oil tycoon who flew his own plane, extracted the the proposal from her by sending the jet into a nosedive until she got down on one knee!

Jana Phillips and Shelly deZevallos served as chairs and TV's Mia Gradney and David Paul were emcees. There was a live auction, a highlight of which was a custom gold and diamond bracelet valued at more than $7,000, donated by Cindy Lewis of Lewis Jewelers. The event, which also included a fashion show produced by Lenny Matuszewski and featured some Rotarians as models, raised over $100,000 to benefit the organization's community service projects.

Brice and Sarah Cambas

Leah Salinas

Lynn Wyatt and Dot and Walter Cunningham

Miranda Sevick on the runway

Jana L. Phillips and Karina Barbieri

Emcees David Paul and Mia Gradney

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Parties
promoted

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Fall Philanthropy Report: Easter Seals of Greater Houston ‘Impacts Where People Need Us the Most’

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Leadership in Action: CEO Theresa Roemer Credits Mother, Mentors and Mindset for Accomplishments

How did you get to where you are today? My journey to where I am today is built on a foundation of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Every step along the way, I faced obstacles, but I approached each one with determination and a “never give up” mindset. Instead of being discouraged by challenges, I used them as opportunities to grow and improve. Consistency was key—I committed to showing up and giving my best effort every day. I also learned not to take “no” as a final answer. Instead, I saw it as a chance to push harder, adapt, and find another way forward. It’s this combination of persistence, resilience, and unwavering focus that has brought me to where I am today.

Keep Reading Show less