Malcolm H. Preston

1920 - 2011

ANDOVER, Mass. - After a long illness, Malcolm H. Preston died at the home of his daughter Amanda Preston in Andover, Mass. Sunday, July 10, 2011. He was 91 years old.

He was born in West New York, N.J. to Frank Pearlstein and Anniece (Landau) Pearlstein. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1940, where he was a member of the varsity swimming team and won several NCAA Awards. After service in World War II in the Aleutian Islands, he received a Ph.D. in Art History from Columbia University. In 1942, he married Mary Alice Bales during his service in the military. She predeceased him in 2002.

He was Professor of Art History and Fine Arts at Hofstra University on Long Island, and served as Dean until his retirement in 1968. While at Hofstra he participated in the creation of and hosted a television series, The Arts Around Us for the National Educational Television Film Service, which was aired on WOR-TV in New York City. After his retirement from Hofstra, he was art critic for several newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, the Boston Herald and Newsday. He was a noted landscape and figure painter, and his work is represented in many private and museum collections.

In 1968, he and his wife relocated from Long Island to live year-round in Truro, Mass. He served as the Truro Town Moderator for many years.

He is survived by his daughters Jennifer Clarke and her husband, Peter Clarke, of Bow, and Amanda Preston and her husband, Dana Hayward, of Andover, Mass. He is also survived by grandchildren Abigail Konopasky, Joshua Leach, Rachel Wildman, Matthew Wildman, Hannah Leach-Andrade, and Elias Hayward and great-grandchildren Annalise Konopasky, Charlie Konopasky and Simon McGee.

The family has made private arrangements for memorial services in Andover and in Truro.

Memorial contributions can be sent to the Truro Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 2013, Truro, MA 02666.