Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
HARRIET SHORR Obituary
Acclaimed American painter and teacher, died on Saturday, April 9th at Beth Israel Hospital, age 76. She was ill for several years, but the immediate cause of death was pneumonia. Harriet was Professor Emerita at the School of Art and Design at Purchase College. She was known for large-scale realistic still life paintings that were full of light and color. Harriet was also an extraordinarily gifted writer and poet. She leaves her husband Jim Long, daughters Ruth and Sasha, three grandchildren and her brother Bill Shorr. Harriet grew up in Sea Gate in Brooklyn and is remembered with pride and love by her childhood friends Roberta, Simmie and Linda.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for HARRIET SHORR
Paul Jeter
August 4, 2021
Harriett taught me the foundations of writing and painting. Two skills I use and treasure every day. I had hoped to see her again when I had made something of myself. Peace.
Nancy Hagin
April 9, 2021
I miss her very much.
Nancy Hagin
April 10, 2020
I can't believe that four years have passed. Harriet, you are greatly missed by me. I think of you and your work so often.
sophia healy
April 8, 2019
Harriet, poet, painter, I miss you so much, and remember all our breakfasts on 6th Ave in NYC, and the beautiful times we visited you in upstate Vermont. Always in my heart, sophia
peggy mackey (aka Stein)
May 2, 2016
I knew Harriet briefly when our daughters were friends in high school. She was an extraordinary artist as well as a remarkable woman. I remember her warmth and gentleness.
Condolences to her family and friends,
Peggy (Davi's mum)
April 25, 2016
I was her student at Purchase in 2003/4. I am so sad to hear this. I loved the class. Often she would read short stories aloud as the class painted. She knew well how to identify and encourage a student's abilities. So smart and articulate and full of grace.
Polly Kurasch
Mary E. Williams
April 21, 2016
My late husband, John, hired Harriet in the mid 60s when we were at Swarthmore College. We became fast friends and spent many hilarious times together. I was always impressed with her intelligence and warmth. When we moved to Pittsburgh in 1972 and she had already gone to Soho to paint full time, we lost touch. I am saddened to read of her passing.
Judi Brown
April 17, 2016
Your memory and your art will be a blessing to us all
Nelle Gretzinger
April 17, 2016
I met Harriet around 1976 when her daughter Ruth and I first became friends. SoHo was thinly inhabited then and friendships made in the community were cherished and nurtured. Though Harriet was my mother's age, she was not a mother figure to me: She was my friend. Throughout the years, she remained curious about what I was doing, quick with advice or words of encouragement and ever able to ask the incisive question. I will miss her sorely. Lots of love to you Jim, Ruth and Sasha.
Karen Schifano
April 16, 2016
Harriet was the best teacher I ever had. At Swarthmore, where there were only 1 1/2 art instructors, in a time where studio art was considered less than serious, Harriet ran a department that was top notch. She also created a seminar on Abstract Expressionism and Pollock that could have worked in any graduate art department. She made us all feel that our opinions mattered and that we were heard. Thoughtful and generous, Harriet continued to pay attention to my career for years after we graduated. I'll always be grateful for her kindness. And of course, Harriet's paintings were such intelligent and poetic evocations of still life's relationship to our own lives and history. All of my love to Ruth, Sasha and Jim.
Nancy Hagin
April 15, 2016
Harriet was a good friend and a wonderful painter. We met in graduate school and never lost touch. I will miss her very much.
Alba De Leon
April 14, 2016
Harriet, we don't know where you've gone, however your presence remains in each delicately touched painting that you created.
sophia healy
April 14, 2016
What a beautiful friend. We painted in the same studio our first year at Yale Art School. We started a folkmusic group with Pauline Marden, and performed on the east coast. Harriet wrote some beautiful songs--"If I could see that country." The catch in her voice, the emotion, is a beloved sound I will never forget. Beloved friend, returned to the great sea from which we come AVE ATQUE VALE--love,
sophia
Ellen Pearlman
April 14, 2016
I read today of Harriet Shorr's passing at the age of 76. I didn't know Harriet, but I read that she was known for her realistic still-life paintings, writing and poetry. She was beloved by her husband, two daughters, three grandchildren and her brother, but what was unusual in her New Times Times obituary was that it said she was remembered with pride and love by her childhood friends Roberta, Simmie and Linda. I read the NYT obituaries often, but I can't recall that much notice being paid to the friends of the deceased before who, along with the family, are mourning too. While I don't know Harriet's friends and I don't know anything about their friendship with Harriet, I do know that their grief was noted in her obituary and, therefore, they must have played a significant role in her life. So I would like to offer condolences to the friends and family of Harriet Shorr from FriendshipDialogues.com and me.
Barbara kassel
April 14, 2016
Harriet was a wonderful and very dear friend. I met her 15 years ago and we became fast friends over the years. I will miss her greatly, her warmth, her love of language, her deep love of art and her extraordinary paintings. I remember when I first went to her studio and saw one of the stillife set ups she was working on. A few objects, a mirror, some fabric. The way she was able to transform what was directly in front of her was amazing to me. The ordinary into the extraordinary. Her paintings glowed with light, color and form. As did she.
Linda Goldstein Horowitz Johnson
April 14, 2016
I remember our last time together for your 75th birthday lunch, four childhood friends having a wonderful time. I will miss my lifelong friend.
Emily McCully
April 14, 2016
How we miss her fierce and uncompromising intellect - and her wit
April 14, 2016
Our wonderful memories of growing up together will stay in my heart forever
and ever. Simmie
Showing 1 - 18 of 18 results
Make a Donation
in HARRIET SHORR's name
Memorial Events
for HARRIET SHORR
How to support HARRIET's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read more
The Five Stages of Grief
They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreWays to honor HARRIET SHORR's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
