Simon Verity (1945–2024), master stone carver known for cathedrals
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2 min readSimon Verity was a British master stone carver whose detailed work graces such buildings as New York City’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine and England’s Canterbury Cathedral.
- Died:e280afAugust 11, 2024 (Who else died on August 11?)c2
- Details of death:e280afDied at his home in Llandeilo, Wales of Lewy body dementia at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolencese280affor Simon Verity in oure280afGuest Book.c2
Simon Veritye28099s legacy
Born in Amersham, England, Verity established himself as a carver with early works like garden sculptures and memorials. The latter would become an important part of his artistry throughout his career, as he crafted headstones and structures for notable people and by request of families. Among the people for whom he carved headstones were actress Lynn Redgrave (1943e280932010) and Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein (1925e280932021).
In 1988, Verity was chosen to direct the work on the statuary of the long unfinished Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. The creation of the cathedrale28099s Portal of Paradise took close to a decade, and as he carved a variety of Biblical figures, Verity took inspiration from the faces of friends and local business owners. His intricate carvings drew visitors to the church. His other notable cathedral work came at Canterbury Cathedral, where Verity carved ornate memorials to notable figures and a floor inscription in honor of St. Thomas Becket.
Veritye28099s other art was widely varied. His carved sculptures live in the homes of many patrons, including King Charles III and Sir Elton John. He created and restored grottoes in the U.S. and Europe. In New York City, he was among the artists of the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden, which pays tribute to the British subjects who were killed there in terrorist attacks in 2001.
Notable quote
e2809cTheree28099s something in the repetitive action of the work. Ie28099m hitting that stone once every second for two hours, and then I stop work for twenty minutes, and then I begin again, and for eight or ten hours a day, thate28099s what I do. Thate28099s extraordinary, isne28099t it? And Ie28099ve been doing that for thirty years. And thate28099s a very strange thing to be doing.e2809d e28094from a 2015 interview with Tracy Cochran
Tributes to Simon Verityc2
Full obituary: The New York Timesc2
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