VANCE--Grace Sloane. The Trustees, staff, and volunteers of Educational Broadcasting Corporation, licensee of Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York, deeply mourn the passing of Grace Sloane Vance, Vice Chairman Emeritus. A true friend and passionate advocate for the mission of public television, Gay Vance served on the EBC Board of Trustees from 1974 through 1993 additionally serving as Vice Chairman for many of those years. Among her numerous, enduring contributions to Thirteen/WNET, she helped found the Patron Circle program of core station supporters, serving as its chairman until 1994. Her extraordinary leadership and enthusiasm for Thirteen/ WNET's work played a vital role in strengthening the institution, promoting its goals, and enhancing the power and reach of public television in our community and nationwide. We offer our heartfelt sympathies to her children Elsie Vance Askar, Camilla Vance Holmes, Grace Roberts Vance, Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and to the members of her extended family. Like them, we are comforted by the knowledge that Gay's wonderful contributions to Thirteen/WNET over the years continue to flourish, touching countless lives here in New York City and all across America. Sincerely, James S. Tisch Chairman Neal Shapiro President and CEO
VANCE--Grace Sloane, (known as ''Gay''), beloved wife of the late Cyrus R. Vance, passed away on Saturday March 22, 2008. A native New Yorker, Gay's family founded the W&J Sloane furniture company. Gay was a full partner in her husband's very public life. During their time in Washington, DC, she was a true ''first lady'' of the State Department, looking after the welfare of state department families. In her own right, Gay was a civic leader dedicated to promoting human equality and opportunity as Vice-Chairman of the Board and then President of the New York Urban League, and to expanding arts and education through public television in New York City as a board member and later Vice-Chairman of the Board of WNET Channel 13. Numerous non-profit organizations and corporate boards, including W. R. Grace & Company, Colgate University and the National Urban League sought out Gay for her common sense, strong intellect and integrity. Gay was devoted to her family. She is survived by her two sisters, Nancy Coates of Ardmore, Pennsylvania and Evelyn Pyne of Far Hills, New Jersey. Gay lost her cherished daughter, Amy Sloane Vance, just two weeks ago to cancer. Gay will be missed by her three daughters, Elsie Nicoll Vance, Camilla Vance Holmes and Grace Roberts Vance, her son, Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., her grandchildren Simon and Clare Vance, step-grandson Kemal Askar, daughter-inlaw Peggy Vance, and sonsin-law Attila Askar and William Holmes, as well as by a large community of loving and diverse friends from around the world and across many generations whom she inspired. Services will be held this Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 4pm at the Church of the Heavenly Rest at 90th Street and Fifth Avenue. In lieu of flowers, Gay asked that any donations be sent to the Vance Center for International Justice Initiatives, which provides support to lawyers around the globe to expand access to justice, and to ensure a fair and equitable judicial system, c/o New York City Bar, 42 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036-6689.
