With an eye on finances, La Jollan Trulette Clayes helps two entities run smoothly

10 QUESTIONS:

Trulette Clayes is the controller at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and co-trustee of the Joseph Clayes III Charitable Trust. She is the niece of the late Joseph Clayes, a financial and real estate investor, and avocado rancher. She and her uncle’s friend, Brendan Holmes, administer the charitable trust in her uncle’s name.

Recently, the Joseph Clayes III Charitable Trust established a $3.5 million endowment for Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. The house provides a “home away from home” to families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals. A previous gift was given to name the Joseph Clayes III Gallery at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla.

Trulette lives in La Jolla with her husband Jeffrey Partrick. In her free time, she said she enjoys traveling, and staying active with early morning walks and Pilates.

What brought you to La Jolla?

I began working at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in 1998. I met my husband in La Jolla in 2000. We were married in 2004 and purchased our home in the Village when we returned from our honeymoon.

What might you add, subtract or improve in the area?

We absolutely love living here and appreciate our good fortune every day. There are really only two things that I think would improve our beautiful Village and that would be to repair the bumpy roads and to remove the scent of La Jolla Cove.

Who or what inspires you?

Since becoming a trustee of my late uncle’s estate, I have been inspired by the people who work for the various nonprofit organizations I have come into contact with. They truly have a passion for their charities and it is infectious.

If you hosted a dinner party for eight, whom (living or deceased) would you invite?

We love to host what we call our “table of ten.” We have our close friends and family join us as often as we can all come together.

Other than a dinner with our usual “table of ten,” I would like to invite a diverse group that would have a lively and humorous conversation. The group would include the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Murray Galinson, Warren Buffett, Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Nicholson and Terry Bradshaw ... oh, and I would love to have my Uncle Joe join us. I have a lot of questions for him!

What are your favorite films of all time?

Last night, I was changing channels and “Hello Dolly!” with Barbra Streisand was on. I love so many of her old movies. I also loved both versions of the “Thomas Crown Affair.”

What is it that you most dislike?

Disloyalty, dishonesty and procrastination.

What is your most-prized possession?

I don’t think of them as a possession, but I cherish my family the most.

What do you do for fun?

We love to travel and go to restaurants. We also love exercising, so that we can travel and go to restaurants.

What is your philosophy of life?

When the Trust was first established, I placed this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson on the Trust’s website:

“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — this is to have succeeded.”

What would be your dream vacation?

We had a dream vacation when we went on safari in South Africa and Botswana in 2011. We are looking forward to returning to enjoy another safari in a different country.