Wilma Barnstable, matriarch of star-studded Barnstable-Brown Derby Eve gala, dies at 94

Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
Wilma Barnstable is featured in the current issue of Churchill Downs magazine.
Wilma Barnstable is featured in the current issue of Churchill Downs magazine.

Lifelong Kentuckian Wilma Barnstable, who was known affectionately as "Willie" by family, friends and high profile notables such as Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, former N'SYNC member Joey Fatone and the late actor Lloyd Bridges, died Oct 21.

She was 94.

Born in Corbin, Kentucky, she attended the University of Kentucky and married UK basketball star Dale Barnstable. The couple moved to Louisville and raised four children, Barbara Barnstable Edelman, Dale Barnstable, Jr. and twins, Patricia Barnstable-Brown and Priscilla Barnstable, who first came into the national spotlight as the "Doublemint Twins" in the chewing gum commercials.

More than 30 years ago, after retiring as a Jefferson County School teacher, Barnstable, along with her daughters, Patricia and Priscilla, launched what has become one the world's most famous charitable parties. The Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala, which is held in Patricia Barnstable-Brown's private home in Louisville on the evening before the Kentucky Derby, is ranked as one of the 10 Best Parties in the World by Condé Nast magazine.

As the gatekeeper to this celebrity-packed, bucket list event, Willie Barnstable was the person who often picked up the phone when Super Bowl Champs Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers called to RSVP.

2019 Super Bowl champion New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady speaks with a guest at the 2019 Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala in Louisville. May 3, 2019.
2019 Super Bowl champion New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady speaks with a guest at the 2019 Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala in Louisville. May 3, 2019.

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She had a hand in all aspects of the party from maintaining bank accounts, preparing tax returns, and selling tickets and sponsorships to booking hotel rooms and limousines for party guests like Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora, Rod Stewart, Lindsey Vonn, and countless others.

Thanks to her tireless efforts, the annual gala has raised and donated over $17 million to establish and support the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center at UK Healthcare.

"She's sharp, and she's always busy and doing something," Patricia Barnstable-Brown previously told the Courier Journal. "She's an inspiration to all of us as we get older."

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Barnstable Brown Gala was put on hold but Willie Barnstable never slowed down. In 2020, her daughter told the Courier Journal her mom was moving forward and making plans for the future, just as she always had.

Check presentation to University of Kentucky Health Care Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center. Left to Right Lisa Tannock, MD (Adult Endocrinology Division Chief) Mark F. Newman, MD (Executive Vice President Health Affairs) Willie Barnstable Tricia Barnstable-Brown John Fowlkes, MD (Director)
Check presentation to University of Kentucky Health Care Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center. Left to Right Lisa Tannock, MD (Adult Endocrinology Division Chief) Mark F. Newman, MD (Executive Vice President Health Affairs) Willie Barnstable Tricia Barnstable-Brown John Fowlkes, MD (Director)

"She let me know she'd just gotten off the phone with a guest who placed an order for our party in 2022," Patricia Barnstable-Brown previously told the Courier Journal. "I said 'Mom you realize you'll be 94 in 2022.'"

Background:It's more than just a party. Barnstable Brown Gala donates $1M to charity

The family asks for donations to be made in Barnstable's honor to the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center at  uky.networkforgood.com.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Wilma Barnstable, force behind Barnstable-Brown Derby Gala, dies at 94