Miriam "Milly" Tamsky

1923 - 2017

Chatam, Mass. - Miriam "Milly" Tamsky died on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. She was married to Joseph R. Tamsky who predeceased her in 2012.

Milly was born Miriam Anne Barer in New Haven, in 1923, the daughter of Sigmund and Mary Barer who immigrated to this country from Russia before WWI. She attended Hillhouse High School and, upon graduation, entered Yale School of Art. In 1944, while at Yale, one of her paintings was selected from thousands of entries for a traveling exhibition called "A Portrait of America."

After graduation from Yale in 1944, she worked in Manhattan as a commercial illustrator. In 1946, she married Joseph Tamsky, who was beginning his career in city planning. Milly raised her family of three sons and a daughter in West Hartford and then in Norwalk. She was extremely fond of books and worked for many years in the circulation department of the Norwalk Library. In 1987, Milly and Joe moved to Harwich, on Cape Cod, where Milly volunteered at the Brooks Free Library. In retirement, Milly renewed her interest in painting and for many years was an exhibiting member of the Cape Cod Art Guild.

Milly is survived by her children and their spouses, Adam (Lisa Myerson) of Ledyard, Stella (Eric) van Laer of Norwalk, Ezra (Claudia) of Uxbridge, Mass., and Ben (Eleanor) of Mystic. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Lorraine, Pieter and Andrew.

The family would like to express special thanks to the staff and residents of The Victorian Assisted Living in Chatham, Mass., where she spent the past five years. A memorial gathering will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, at The Victorian.