Phoebe Hearst Cooke

Granddaughter of publishing legend William Randolph Hearst. William's father, George, was a prospector, land baron, U.S. senator who "won" failing San Francisco Examiner newspaper as payment for gambling debt in 1880. Only child, William (d. 1951), assumed control in 1887, built nation's largest newspaper chain via sensational "yellow" journalism. Infamously portrayed by actor Orson Welles in Citizen Kane. Today Hearst Corp. controls newspaper (San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle) and magazine (Cosmopolitan, Esquire) divisions, flourishing cable networks (stakes in ESPN, Lifetime, A&E). Also TV, radio stations. Longtime chief exec Victor F. Ganzi resigned suddenly in June amid reports of clashes with Hearst family over direction of the company. Hearst Cooke's twin brother, George R. Hearst Jr., who was chairman of Hearst Corp. and president of the Hearst Foundation Inc., died in June. They were born in San Francisco on July 13, 1927, to George R. Hearst Sr. and Blanche Wilbur. As the two oldest grandchildren of the late William Randolph Hearst, the iconic newspaper publisher whose San Francisco Examiner launched a global media and information company, both Hearst Cooke and her brother were deeply involved with both Hearst Corp. and the charitable foundations established by their grandfather's will. Hearst Cooke was married to Amory J. “Jack” Cooke, a former member of the board of directors of Hearst Corp. and vice president and general manager of the corporation's Sunical Land & Livestock and San Francisco Realties divisions. They were married for 45 years before Cooke died in 2008. Phoebe's first marriage was to Philip E. Tovrea Jr. They had one daughter. Hearst Cooke is survived by her daughter Phoebe “Misty” Tovrea Lipari and grandson Kristopher Jay Lipari.