When Loraine and Jack Stuart moved to Napa Valley in the late 1970s, they planted roots for their family and their new community—all driven by a passion for making Napa Valley a better place.
Jack has served in board roles at Napa Valley Vintners, the Land Trust of Napa County, and recently the St. Helena Public Library. Loraine held the post of Executive Director for Arts Council Napa Valley in the 1990s, spent nearly a decade on the board of UpValley Family Centers, and joined NVCF’s board in 2013. “I have spent most of my career in the Valley, paid or unpaid, in nonprofits,” Loraine shares. “It’s been a great run.”
Loraine was NVCF’s board chair during a challenging period—the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 wildfires.
Giving back for the Stuarts has always been about supporting initiatives that create long-term change. Issues close to their hearts include housing and the environment. “Housing has forever been on my list,” Loraine notes, “from farmworker housing to workforce housing—we need places people who work in our community can afford to live.”
Their dedication extends to their estate plan, which includes a bequest to NVCF. “We’re not big capacity donors, and we never will be, but we have a plan in our estate that is tiered, allowing something for the Foundation to manage on behalf of the community,” Loraine explains.
“We wanted to ensure our children were taken care of first, and beyond that could go to causes we care about, including the Foundation,” Jack adds.
Loraine met Jack at Stanford University through a program called Volunteers in Asia. After exploring a variety of life paths, they landed in Napa in the late 1970s. “It’s always amazing when your life makes a circle. I didn’t think I was marrying a winemaker and ending up in Napa Valley; I thought I was marrying someone who would work for a publishing company,” Loraine reflected. “It’s been very sweet.”
The couple’s history in Napa runs even deeper. Loraine’s grandmother owned a vineyard north of St. Helena in the 1960s, and her family’s ties to the valley date back to the late 19th century. “I do have old Napa Valley roots,” she said. “I came here as a kid, and it was always about family and the swimming pool. It was very sleepy.”
Through their tireless service and generosity, Jack and Loraine Stuart have created a lasting legacy that will benefit Napa Valley for generations to come.