Mary “Mimi” Ryan Cecil died on Friday, November 17, 2017 in Asheville, NC. Mrs. Cecil and her late husband, William A.V. Cecil, were active members of the Asheville, NC community as owners of the historic estate, Biltmore.

Born Mary Lee Ryan on December 11, 1931, she was the daughter of textile manufacturer John J. Ryan, Jr., and granddaughter of the prominent New York banker, lawyer, and builder James T. Lee.

She graduated with a B.A. in English from Vassar College in 1953. Notably, she was in the first class of female graduates from the University of Michigan Law School. She was elected to the Law Review in 1956 and was a partner in the Wall Street firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.

Mimi and William A.V. Cecil at the reception following their wedding.

In 1957, she married William A.V. Cecil at St. Vincent Ferrer’s Roman Catholic Church in New York City. In 1960, the Cecils moved to Asheville, NC to raise their family and to oversee the management and preservation of Biltmore, which was created by his grandfather George W. Vanderbilt. Upon their return, Biltmore was transformed into a privately owned, profitable, working estate that was named a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

While supporting her family’s endeavors at Biltmore, Mrs. Mary Cecil became a legend in her own right within the community. Known for her relaxed and approachable manner, she was a familiar figure in the world of non-profit leadership, and devoted her life to making a difference in the areas of education, social inequities, the environment, and the arts.

She was a trustee and served 14 years as Chair for North Carolina Environmental Defense. In 1995, in recognition of her devotion and support of the organization, the Board of Trustees and Staff elected her Chair Emeritus, expressing their deep and lasting appreciation, respect, and love for her dedication to the welfare of the organization and her lifelong efforts to insure the overall betterment of North Carolina.

Mrs. Mary Cecil was a founding board member of the Nature Conservancy and Friends of the Smokies, and was recognized for 20 years of stewardship by the National Park Service for her work with Friends of the Smokies. She also served on the Board for the North Carolina Zoological Society.

In 2007, The French Broad River Garden Club and The Garden Club of America presented the Zone Conservation Award to Mrs. Cecil for her inspiring dedication to the conservation of our environment, natural resources, and mountain heritage.

She served as Chairman of the Community Foundation of North Carolina board for a decade, and was Chair of the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees from 1998–2005.

Mrs. Mary Cecil was a supporter of the Asheville Symphony and Guild, the Asheville Art Museum, the Health Adventure, the United Way, and the National Forest Foundation. She was also active with the Buncombe County Board of Education, Hospitality House, John C. Campbell Folk School, and the National Parks Conservation Association.

She volunteered with the Mission Health System for 20 years and was a long-time member of The Biltmore Company’s Board of Directors.

Mrs. Cecil in South Georgia, Antarctica, 2004.

Mrs. Cecil was devoted to her family, sharing her love of travel, especially with her five grandchildren. As each grandchild reached the age of ten, they were able to pick a travel experience to share with her, creating a memorable tradition that spanned generations.

In the book Lady on the Hill, Mr. Cecil (1928–2017) recognized Mimi Cecil for her integral part in Biltmore’s success story and in supporting those efforts for more than 45 years. “She has been a wonderful wife and mother and has offered her considerable gifts, skills, and abilities to our community, our mountains, and our country. I am profoundly in her debt,” he stated.

Mrs. Cecil is survived by her son, William A.V. “Bill” Cecil Jr., and daughter-in-law Virginia “Ginger” Cecil; her daughter, Diana “Dini” Cecil Pickering and son-in-law George “Chuck” Pickering II, brother John J. Ryan III, and sister-in-law Jacqueline Ryan; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil, owner of The Biltmore Company, died on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at his home in Asheville. He was 89 years old.

William A.V. Cecil was the youngest son of Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil and the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil, and the grandson of George W. Vanderbilt, who built Biltmore House in the 1890s as the largest privately owned home in America.

Mr. Cecil stands in front of Biltmore House in 1985.

Mr. Cecil was born August 17, 1928, at his family home in Asheville. Educated in England and Switzerland, he served in the British Navy near the end of World War II. After the war, he attended Harvard University and graduated in 1952. He pursued a career in finance, where he served as a representative of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, and later as an officer with Chase’s international department based in Washington, D.C.

In 1957, he married Mary “Mimi” Ryan, a lawyer with the Wall Street firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. In 1960, the Cecils moved to Asheville with the intention of preserving Biltmore by growing tourism to the region.

“We don’t preserve Biltmore to make a profit. We make a profit to preserve Biltmore,” William A.V. Cecil was known to say. His vision for the estate extended beyond its gates to encompass North Carolina and the country, and he worked the next 35 years to position Biltmore as a unique national treasure and Asheville as a “must-see” destination.

Although his parents opened Biltmore House to the public in 1930, it was not a source of income for the estate. After 30 years, revenues from visiting guests had produced a profit only one time. The book Lady on the Hill details the tremendous challenges Mr. Cecil faced in restoring Biltmore to its Vanderbilt-era glory.

“There was this negativism that it can’t be done,” William A.V. Cecil said. “If you ever want me to do something, just say ‘It can’t be done.’ Everyone told me it couldn’t be done, so I just stuck my feet in it and I said, ‘We’ll see about that.’ And that is what motivated me.”

After years of dedication and hard work—including everything from writing marketing copy to taking photographs for estate brochures—William Cecil announced that Biltmore had made a profit of $16.34 in 1969. In the following decades, his leadership propelled restorations to Biltmore House, renovations across the estate, and unparalleled growth for The Biltmore Company based on his unique business philosophy of a profitable private enterprise supporting preservation.

He was a leader in envisioning successful winemaking in North Carolina, planting vineyards, hiring a French winemaker, and opening the Biltmore Winery in 1985 when the idea of a successful North Carolina winery was unimaginable. Today, Biltmore Winery distributes wines across the country and is the most-visited winery in the nation.

His involvement in Biltmore’s preservation led him to found and serve as the board chairman of the Historic House Association of America, which later merged with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1963, his dedication to Biltmore’s preservation was rewarded when the estate was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Mr. Cecil also received the National Trust Preservation Award in 1995 for “his unique vision and achievement in the restoration and economically viable administration of the Biltmore Estate.”

William Cecil considered tourism, preservation, and heritage as natural partners, and was active in a number of travel and tourism organizations.  He served as the 1972 president of the Southern Highlands Attractions Association, president of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, and president of the North Carolina Travel Council. In 1974, he was awarded the Charles J. Parker Travel Award. He was also included in “The North Carolina Century, Tar Heels Who Made a Difference, 1900–2000.”

In addition, he served on the board of directors for the Public Service Natural Gas Company, Carolina Motor Club, and the board of the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry.

William Cecil retired from the company’s day-to-day operations in 1995 after nurturing his family business into a leading economic contributor to Asheville. The company now encompasses travel and tourism, hospitality, agriculture, wine, and licensed products, and is one of the area’s largest employers.

Portrait of Mr. Cecil

In an afterword to Lady on the Hill, Mr. Cecil wrote:

“I hope Biltmore Estate will continue to give its guests one of America’s most gratifying cultural and aesthetic experiences for years to come. I also hope that the commitment to preserving the great natural beauty that graces Biltmore is held sacred. The estate has given my family great personal and professional satisfaction over the years, and it has been my pleasure and my honor to share her. Long may the Lady on the Hill stand as a symbol of vision, inspiration, and imagination.”

William Cecil is survived by his son, William A.V. “Bill” Cecil, Jr., and daughter-in-law Virginia “Ginger” Cecil; his daughter, Diana “Dini” Cecil Pickering, son-in-law George “Chuck” Pickering; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.