Lila M. Rountree

Lila (Wershof) Shanor Rountree was born on June 19, 1931 in New York, NY to Anne (Bellin) and Stanley Mendel Wershof. She died peacefully on April 11, 2025 at her home in Amherst. Lila grew up in the Bronx and graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 1949. In high school, she attended the Art Students League of New York where she took live drawing and watercolor classes taught by important painters of the time. After graduating from high school a semester early, she worked at the Julien Levy Gallery where she met iconic surrealist painters. She then earned a B.A. in English from Syracuse University in 1953. At Syracuse, Lila met Rick Shanor, and they were married in 1954. After marrying, they moved to New Jersey then to Germany, before returning to Southampton and Amherst to raise their three children. After living happily unmarried following her divorce from Rick, Lila married Ben Rountree in 1986. Lila and Ben divided their time between Georgia, France, and Amherst. Lila had a fulfilling career as an artist. She taught art in Northampton elementary schools and ceramics at the Amherst Girls Club. She was a founding member of The Box Shop, later known as Leverett Crafts and Arts Center, and showed her art with the Valley Women Artists. She also showed her art in group exhibits at the Springfield Art League, Hampshire College, Marie NYC, Bitten End Gallery in Northampton, and had a solo show at Le P'Tit Mur in La Chatre, France. Creating art inspired by the world around her was incredibly important to Lila. After joining the Crescent Dancers, a local bellydancing troupe, she incorporated themes from Middle Eastern dance into her paintings and etchings. When she began spending more time in France, Lila focused on landscapes inspired by the beautiful French countryside. After visiting the Islamic Center Library in Paris and learning about Fayum mummy portraits, she returned home to Amherst and began painting mummy portraits on the slate roof tiles that were removed from her Victorian home. Later in life, Lila spent her days reading the New York Times and watching MSNBC, connecting the world news to her life in Amherst. Anyone who had the pleasure of talking with her learned about her latest obsessions with people like Oscar Tang, the Chinese-born billionaire with ties to the Pioneer Valley, Varian Fry, the American journalist who helped artists and intellectuals escape Nazi Germany, Belle Skinner, the Holyoke philanthropist who helped rebuild a French village after World War I, and her beloved neighbors Emily and Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd. She loved keeping in touch with her many friends. Lila leaves behind family who loved her deeply, including her children Rachel Shanor (John Coombs), Adam Shanor (Susan Laugher and her children), and Kate Shanor; her step-children Ashley Rountree and his son Jordan, and Meredith Rountree (Rob Owen); her grandchildren Katherine Coombs (Miles Mogilnicki) and Aidan Coombs; and her nephew Mark Goell. She is predeceased by her husband Ben Rountree, grandson Ricky Coombs, and sister Abby Goell. A celebration of life will be planned. For details, please email Lila's granddaughter Katherine at lila.rountree591@gmail.com. Memorial guestbook can be found at www.douglassfuneral.com To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of LILA, please visit our Tree Store.