Kathleen "Kate" Cornell

48, professionally known as Kate Libby, a renowned Maine artist, who created a unique collection of poster calendars bearing her name, died peacefully on Sunday, June 26, after a long illness. Believing in the maxim {M1}"Create from what you know{M1}", Kate Libby did most of her painting near her home in Boothbay, Maine, drawing on her own life experiences with family, friends and pets. Over the years, Kate Libby{M1}'s calendars have provided serenity, comfort, and a sense of joy of family and home life to legions of devoted followers of her special and highly distinctive vision. Her images brighten our world and depict the everyday pleasures from which lifelong memories are made. {M1}"Kate was a wonderful, warm person, whose paintings reflected her keen eye for the simple, yet most important, aspects of life{M1}", said David Betses, her friend and colleague. Her themes of continuity, family, growth and love have a universal appeal, giving her art a special place in peoples lives. "Kate will be deeply missed by her family and the people she touched through her art, but the legacy of work she left will be an ongoing living testimony to her brilliance and creativity." Kate Libby was born on Halloween Day, 1957, in South Portland, Maine. She graduated from South Portland High School in 1976 and received her BFA degree from Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art) in 1980. Kate leaves her loving husband, Robert T. Cornell, and her son Thomas R. Cornell, age 9. She is also survived by her mother, Juliette L. Holladay of Boothbay, her sister, Mary E. Herbert of Cape Elizabeth, Maine; and a brother, Michael R. Libby of Scarborough, Maine; three nieces and four nephews, all of Maine. She was the daughter of the late Robert D. Libby. There will be a private gathering of friends and family in celebration of Kate's life at the Cornell cottage in East Boothbay, Maine, on Friday, July 1st, from 2:00-5:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Boothbay Region Ambulance Fund, 11 Howard Street, Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04538; or the American Diabetes Association, 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22311.