Natalie K. Pfanstiehl

1920 - 2020

Natalie K. Pfanstiehl
Natalie Koschny Pfanstiehl, 99, a prominent watercolor artist passed away at her Newport home on October 7, 2020. Natalie traced her roots to early settlers of Aquidneck Island. She was the daughter of Ruth Spingler Koschny Viehl and George Koschny and a lifelong member of Emmanuel Church.
Natalie is survived by sons, David Pfanstiehl and John Pfanstiehl and her daughters Christine Pfanstiehl and Nina Pfanstiehl, both of Newport, her grandchildren and many friends. She was predeceased by her younger sisters, Georgette Maloof and Beverly Koschny.
Natalie graduated from Rogers High School in 1938 and attended the Rhode Island School of Design before joining the war effort as a draftsman at the Naval Torpedo Station. Here she met her husband Lt. Paul Pfanstiehl. They married in 1943 and celebrated 60 years together before Paul's passing in 2003.
Natalie worked as an assistant art director for Jordan Marsh in Boston then as an advertising copywriter in Akron, Ohio in the 1940's. She was a staff reporter for the Manchester Evening Herald and contributing writer for the Hartford Times and the Willimantic Chronicle. She got her masters degree in special education from the University of CT where she specialized in children's learning disabilities.
After her teaching career, Natalie returned to watercolor arts. She was an instructor at the Newport Art Museum, led numerous international watercolor workshops and founded the Plein Air Painters of Narragansett Bay. This group has survived her and has met continuously for over 40 years. Natalie was a member of the American Society of Marine Artists, Rhode Island Watercolor Society and the Wickford Art Association. Her art will live on in private collections throughout Newport and worldwide. Memorial plans for 2021 will be announced at a future date.