armony, courage, faith, creativity, integrity, reliability, grace, generosity, honor, and wisdom—personal traits that transcend appearance, pretense, or illusion. These qualities, to which we all aspire, are a testament to the beauty of the human spirit. Meet 10 of Charleston’s most beautiful citizens, those who embody, in one way or another, that which speaks to the very soul of our community.

Sayre Tribble
The Consummate Hostess

Step inside Sayre Tribble’s Tradd Street home and her personality is immediately apparent. The traditional, light-filled space is always ready for last-minute guests—whether they’re next-door neighbors or a magazine camera crew. Hints of whimsy emerge where bright colors mix with heirloom furnishings. “I’m a believer in fun,” says Tribble, whose surroundings support the statement in many ways; the blend of cheery ceramic sculptures in the kitchen, humorous cocktail napkins tucked beside fine linens in the butler’s pantry. “It’s always good to add an element of surprise to life,” she says, “whether that’s in a party you’re planning or a relationship you’re nurturing.”

It seems that Tribble, who splits her time between Charlotte and Charleston, lives out her love of fun and surprises all day, every day. Visit in the afternoon, and expect to be offered a glass of Champagne. Stop by early on a Monday morning, and Tribble’s warm greeting and the rich smell of coffee are welcome enticements to stop in for a chat (though she’s quick to note that even on these occasions, a touch of bubbly isn’t out of the question).

As a hostess who has accumulated numerous local admirers, Tribble credits learning from the masters. “I grew up watching my grandmother and my mother and experiencing their graciousness and ease in entertaining,” she says, recalling the special touch her mother used in simply laying out the china and linens. “I was blessed to inherit lovely pieces that I use often,” adds Tribble, gesturing to cupboards resplendent with silver, porcelain, and Irish linens. “Setting a pretty table came naturally to them, and I like to keep that tradition.”

And lest one think “tradition” in this case translates to “stuffy,” think again. Tribble—who admires the celebration-ready personality of her ancestor, Zelda Fitzgerald—likes to mix it up, tabletop and tableside. She enjoys combining unexpected pieces as well as eclectic groups of people. “Life is more interesting that way,” she smiles.

And yet “mixing it up” has, at times, meant doing things a little differently than the ways to which this Charlotte native is accustomed. Raised in a culture where hostesses used only their public rooms, she learned that smaller Charleston homes are open by necessity; guests tend to migrate throughout the rooms and into the gardens. As a result, her upper-level drawing room has become a wonderful place to enjoy cocktails, the dining room is, of course, the focal point for dinner, and a bright sitting room hosts coffee and aperitifs. “When you keep people moving, you keep the energy flowing,” she says.

Rita O’Neill
Dressed For Success

Rita O’Neill learned at an early age that looking good gave comfort to others. As the daughter of a funeral director whose home was a sanctuary for grieving people, she learned how to convey respect through her dress. “I saw that even in times of sorrow, people could find joy in how others presented themselves.”

And so it was that the young girl from High Point, North Carolina, embarked on a lifetime love affair with clothes. Today, the highly visible general manager of Channel Five turns up all over town in beautiful fabrics, gorgeous colors, and luminous jewelry crafted from stones and beads collected from travels far and wide. Seeing her larger-than-life closet, which is full of light and alive with color, it’s hard to imagine a time when O’Neill shared a small closet with four sisters and donned a Catholic school uniform each morning.

“I couldn’t wait each day to take it off and put on something that was more me, something colorful and a little different from everybody else,” she laughs. Asked to define her own style, she deals in adjectives: natural, fun, light, feminine, and a bit sexy. Most important of all? “Being comfortable. If you’re feeling pinched and tight, you are not going to look good,” she says.

O’Neill’s job at the TV station starts early each day and takes her through numerous evening and weekend obligations. She learned the art of day-to-night dressing when, as a young mother, career woman, and wife of a professional basketball coach, she went from carpool to her day job and into evenings spent courtside. “It taught me to move from one extreme to another and to express myself with a combination of corporate looks and personal style.”

Drawn to the city’s sunlight and color (a cheerful contrast to the long winter days she spent in Chicago), O’Neill says Charleston exudes a kind of style rooted in grace and gentility. “There’s a flair to Charleston, and you see it everywhere here,” she says. “People look good, and looking good makes others feel good. When you make an effort to be there—to show up looking like you care—it makes others feel great about you, and about themselves.”

Carolyn Rivers
A Peaceful Presence

Arriving at Carolyn Rivers’ home and business is like entering a new dimension. Stepping through the garden gate and down the ivy-blanketed walk, one feels immediate peace as the buzz of East Bay Street subsides. Inside her home—which is also the Phoebe Pember House B&B and headquarters of the new Sophia Institute—soft music hums, soothing aromas waft, and jasmine tea awaits.

This is the “safe container” that Carolyn Rivers has created for herself, her guests, and participants in her retreats, all of which focus on spiritual health and happiness—a reflection of the internal well-being that Rivers has managed to create through decades of study and adventure. A successful publishing executive, Rivers spent her 20s pushing through the corporate world—and her 30s questioning the merit of so much pushing.

A long-time devotee of meditation, she had a transforming experience when she realized that her journey needed to shift from the executive’s life of layovers and power lunches to one of self-inquiry and healing. “My deep calling was to reframe my life, to release patterns that didn’t work,” she explains. Indeed, reflecting on her life then, she realizes that she has long emphasized a connection to mind and spirit. “Everywhere I went, I created a place where I could feel grounded. Then it occurred to me that I could create an entire life that was grounded, centered.”

In the last few years, she has helped establish such a place for others. Similar to Esalen and Omega institutes, the Phoebe Pember House is a retreat center, where guests can explore their “heart callings,” the unrealized potential inside. Lectures, group work, yoga, and even simple brisk walks frame a new way of examining one’s life. In her living room where sunlight streams through the window, one can hardly believe Rivers’ claim to be beyond her 40s. Whereas many contemporaries broadcast years of worry upon their foreheads and from the corners of their eyes, Rivers’ flawless skin and graceful demeanor suggest agelessness. Awash in tranquility, her sense of calm is truly contagious.

“Harmony and inner peace lead to outer peace; it’s a journey of well-being, and I’m deeply appreciative to be helping others on that journey,” Rivers says. She credits numerous friends and associates for helping her ongoing search. And she also notes that the composure she exudes comes from a balance of her feminine and masculine sides.
“Managing this business and my life call for both the logic and reason associated with the masculine and the intuitive nature that is part of the feminine. Balance is about embracing both sides of our nature.”

Sue Duckworth
The Perfect Guest

Enter a gathering to which Sue Duckworth has been invited and prepare for more than mere chit-chat. Get ready to share all: your interests, history, aspirations. That’s because Duckworth long ago eschewed small talk in favor of something much deeper. And given her tendency to arrive at a gathering bearing an unusual, yet perfectly suited gift, she’s ideal company. A friend recalls once receiving a gift bag that contained special potting soil and heirloom seeds honoring her successful completion of a Master Gardening course.

“Someone mentions an interest in something, and I’m off and running,” says Duckworth—once described by a friend as a weaver—whose talent is in spinning strong connections between people of seemingly different textures and colors.

So how did Duckworth learn to become such a proactive participant in the party of life? She credits a long journey and a receptiveness to new lessons along the way. “We transferred every two years, so I was always making my way someplace new,” Duckworth says, remembering early years on the cocktail party circuit as a young corporate wife and mother of four. “I spent my time trying to tell people who I was.” Then, one day, she switched gears. “I decided instead to learn who they were, and everything changed.”

The “ultimate connector,” she has over the years resolved to retain relationships from every stop on what she refers to as her “journey of life,” realizing that all things have many purposes and therefore none should be recklessly discarded. “I guess I’ve always been a possibility thinker. I can’t throw something away if I know there’s more to be created with it,” says Duckworth, who today serves as lay ministry coordinator for Grace Episcopal Church.

Good friend Richard Hendry says Duckworth is that rare individual who treats everyone as an equal, recalling a day some years ago when Duckworth was helping organize the nascent Lowcountry Food Bank. Over lunch, she told a favorite waitress about a possible job opening. “Sue knew this woman was smart and suggested she interview for the executive director position at the Food Bank.” The woman went for her interview—wearing her server’s apron—and got the job. “Sue sees the humanity in everybody,” adds Hendry, “which puts the powerful at ease, and makes the less fortunate feel like a board chairman.”

Whether assuming her role as a thoroughly gracious guest or simply going about the business of daily life, Duckworth seems to exude lessons in humility. “I learned to give the gift of presence,” she explains. “Just being there with someone, really listening carefully to them, opens up a wonderful world of possibilities.”