Gretchen Eileen Glasscock

June 15, 1940 - August 25, 2022

Gretchen E. Glasscock passed away in San Antonio on August 25, 2022, after intentionally embracing all life has to offer, entrepreneurial endeavors, and travel adventures. Gretchen was born in San Antonio, Texas on June 15, 1940. She was pre-deceased by her parents Leta Jackson and William D. Glasscock and her sister Margaret Glasscock. She is survived by her partner and wife of 38 years Carla Salinas; sister-in-law Yvonne R (Bonnie) Haag; brother-in-law Bernard D. Salinas and wife Nan and their children Rebecca Madrid and Jason Salinas and wife Susie; Gretchen and Carlas godson Ricardo Reyna and wife Monika Campos and their daughter Penny Reyna; siblings Stanley Glasscock and Colette Glasscock Blakey; nieces Elaine Olivier, Gretchen Blakey, nephews Mike Blakey and Wade Glasscock; many great-nieces and great-nephews; and a wide circle of friends who deeply loved and respected her.

Gretchen graduated from St. Marys Hall in San Antonio in 1958 where she was editor of La Reata, the schools annual, and involved in many other organizations and leadership positions there including Art Club and school plays. Her classmates described her in La Reata as "popular and ambitious" and "renowned for sarcastic wit", traits that would continue to characterize her throughout her life, delighting all who knew her.

Gretchen started her college career at Wellesley and completed her degree in writing at Columbia University in 1962. She also pursued higher education at the Wharton School of Business to inform her ongoing entrepreneurial activities. Beyond her formal education, Gretchen never stopped learning and teaching others through her writing, advocacy, mentoring and wise counsel.

Gretchen met Carla in 1984 and in 2013 when the federal government recognized marriage equality, they wed in New York City.

A fourth generation Texas entrepreneur, Gretchen took over operations of 20,000 acres of ranch land and mineral interests in South Texas in 1976 upon her fathers death. She sought to diversify by exploring grape production and wine making in Texas. Gretchen challenged the existing definitions of Texas grape-growing regions and practice, planting the first commercial vinifera grape vineyard in Texas at Glasscock Vineyards in the Fort Davis Blue Mountains region. She helped draft and promote the now landmark legislation, the Farm Winery Act, TX HB 2229, which laid the foundation for and enabled the development of the now multi-billion-dollar Texas wine industry. Her groundbreaking efforts were featured in the October 1979 Skies of Texas Airlines magazine who referred to her as the "wine goddess of Texas." In 2021, while receiving cancer treatment, Gretchen wrote a book detailing this saga: Texas Wine Pioneers: How Texas Upset the World Wine Stage and Continues to Redefine It. In this book Gretchen shares the story of her own pioneering efforts in Texas in the larger context of the growing global awareness of and appreciation for the Texas wine industry in the 1970s, 1980s and beyond. Her lifelong appreciation for fine wine and other aspects of gracious living is reflected in the quote she chose to feature in her book: "The discovery of a new vineyard does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a new star." Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 1755-1826.

Moving on from the wine industry, Gretchen conceptualized and created, with Carla, a cosmetic surgical and recovery clinic and residence, Villa Nueva Vida, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They operated this successful business for five years before returning to San Antonio in 1993 where Gretchens next entrepreneurial endeavor was in the worldwide web. Once again a pioneer, Gretchen was the founding web publisher at Advancing Women.com in 1996, which upon its launch had 4 million visitors the first month and crashed the server three times. Gretchen continued to mine the opportunities of the web for advocacy and business purposes. Her websites won multiple awards including the Lycos Top 5 Percent Award, Dow Jones Award, Beatrice-Yahoo top site, and www.women Best of Net, with one listed in Fmina as a top Womens career site. She was featured in several magazines including Elle, Self, Women, SUCCESS, and Fast Company, among others.

An accomplished writer, during her career Gretchen provided content on business and career development to Fortune 500 companies such as Citi Bank and Hearst and was published internationally by Cambridge University Press, and by universities and business organizations in Australia, India, and Saudi Arabia. Her content was translated into Mandarin Chinese, reaching a Chinese audience of more than 2 million. In addition to the Texas Wine Pioneers book, she authored two other published books: Create Robust Revenue, and The 20% Solution: Create A Website for Almost Passive Income.

Gretchen was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-San Antonio). She co-founded Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, the first online professional journal for women. In 2016 Gretchen gifted The Advancing Women in Leadership Journal to the Education Leadership Research Center at Texas A&M University.

Gretchen and Carla are renowned and much appreciated for their parties with a lively atmosphere featuring music, beautifully prepared and flowing food and drink, and for their kind spirits and open arms to new friends and connections. Throughout their time together Gretchen and Carla also found much joy in travel, always looking to the next horizon and the next trip. Their travels took them to many destinations in North America, as well European destinations. At the time of Gretchens passing, they had their next trip planned for a UK adventure to England, Scotland, and Ireland in September 2022.

Gretchen was a fierce advocate for the empowerment of women and justice and equality, a brilliant entrepreneur, and unfailingly gracious friend generous with her time, caring, and wisdom. Her devoted partner and wife Carla Salinas partnered with Gretchen in business, political advocacy and all life offers with abiding joy and positive connections. Gretchen took on challenges with strength, determination. and good humor. She was an inspiration to all that knew and loved her and will always be remembered with toasts and the many stories shared and celebrated by her circle of friends and family.

Services will be held on Friday, September 2, 2022 at Porter Loring Mortuary, 1101 McCullough Avenue, San Antonio with private interment to follow.

In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to The Empower House or The Women and Girls Empowerment Fund