It was a bit like old home week for the invited guests who gathered recently at the Quail Valley River Club to celebrate Quail Valley’s 20th anniversary and honor the legacy of its visionary founder, the late Steve Mulvey.
In an April 2015 interview with Vero Beach 32963, Mulvey told our reporter, “I have one standard: I want the best. If I’m going to put my name and face on something, it’s going to meet very high goals. I’m not going to do anything that’s not first class.”
His was a standard that has continued after his untimely passing, embraced by wife Kathy Mulvey, who picked up the standard as CEO; by his partner in the venture Kevin Given, COO and general manager; and by their continually superior staff.
“I think we all agree that Steve has changed the landscape of Vero Beach forever, with the creation of the Golf Club, the River Club and the Pointe. But you know, he couldn’t have done it without all of you, and that’s what I wanted to say tonight,” said Kathy Mulvey.
She thanked everyone for celebrating “the legacy and the life of our founder, our leader, our friend. I know most of you say he was probably the biggest pain in the neck that they’ve ever met, but we all loved him, and we all admired him, and we so miss him every day.
“It was your belief and your dedication that made this dream come true. From 20 years ago, you trusted him, you put your faith in him. You took that faith, and you took the leap with him. His vision became your vision, and that’s why we’re celebrating 20 years, because of that.”
The invitation list included individuals who Given said were described in the development business as the “cowboys and cowgirls” who trusted Mulvey’s vision and helped enable Quail’s remarkable growth.
“It’s a special night for sure. We’ve got some folks who have worked with this for 20 years,” said Given. He added with a grin, “And then we have some of Steve’s friends, who used to counsel him at the local happy hours. When he would get upset and complained about me, he would go down and get counsel. We’re continuing on this great journey here with Quail Valley and hope that we will be here the next 20 years and we can have another party like this.”
The evening was highlighted with the unveiling of two portraits of Mulvey painted by Robert Mead Jones, that Kathy Mulvey said magnificently captured Steve’s spirit.
She said the first of the two paintings, of a younger Steve on horseback, was painted from a photo she took around the time they first met and married, and will be placed in the Golf Club.
“He was always telling me how he wanted to do something in Vero Beach, because we both loved Vero Beach, with his connection with the Dodgers and also my family had a place here,” said Mulvey. “It’s kind of like he’s looking out. So, he’s the visionary right here.”
The other portrait is from a photo taken at the River Club Marina, not long before he became ill.
“Now that’s the Steve we all know; that’s the look I had every day for 25 years,” said Mulvey with fond remembrance. That portrait now hangs in the entryway of the River Club.
Jones, whose work hangs in public and private venues throughout the United States and Europe, said that he had perused assorted photos with Given, Mulvey and Martha Redner, Quail’s membership director.
Jones said one challenge he had was capturing Steve’s personality and accomplishments.
“I mean, the man was so varied. He was a big game hunter, a sportsman and an outdoors fellow, he was an entrepreneur and a businessman. It became clear early on that one portrait just wouldn’t do,” said Jones, adding that in each of the photos he was struck by Steve’s eyes.
“The man had eyes like a hawk. He was always looking off somewhere, as if he was thinking about what he was going to do next,” said Jones. “So different pictures from different eras doing different things, but the eyes are very much the same.”
Jones quoted the end of Shakespeare’s sonnet “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” saying, “‘So long as men can breathe and eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.’ And I think a portrait does that at least as well as a sonnet.”
Photos by Kaila Jones
