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Jeanette Smith Obituary
Jeanette Smith, age 92, died peacefully at her home in Simsbury, CT on December 18, 2013. Up until the very end, she was an intelligent, kind, and generous woman who will be greatly missed. Jeanette was born in Hartford, CT to Leo and Rose Mathieu (both deceased). A talented artist, she graduated in 1942 from the Vesper George School of Art in Boston, MA with a degree in costume design. While there, she met and subsequently married fellow artist Walter Karpie, with whom she had one child, Tamara Real, who survives. Following Walter's death, she met and married Christopher Smith, a retired sociology professor, in 1980. Together, they built a beautiful home according to Chris' design in Bloomfield, CT. A fashion illustrator for most of her life, Jeanette became intrigued by the art of paper marbling and ultimately opened her own studio in the Farmington Valley Art Center in Avon, CT. Jeanette was an outstanding cook who delighted in good food and a voracious reader with a love of Proust. She will be greatly missed by her friends at the Unitarian Society of Hartford, especially Helen Michaels; her husband and daughter; and Rosilyn Days, who cared for her lovingly during her final months. A memorial service will be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Unitarian Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Ave., Hartford, CT 06105, [email protected]. Please visit Jeannette's "Book of Memories" at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online condolences.
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2 Entries
Heidi and Bob Partain
December 23, 2013
Our sincerest condolences to the Smith family. BrightStar Team of Nurses, caregivers, and staff
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Norma Rogin
December 22, 2013
Dear Chris and Tamara,
It is with sadness that I read today of Jeanette's death, and I send my warmest condolences to both of you. I last saw Jeanette when I visited her in Simsbury and, as one of her former paper marbling students, she kindly gave me some papers some of which I have used in my own art but others I cannot bring myself to part with.
I have fond memories of those days in Jeanette's studio at the Farmington Valley Arts Center. She worked lovingly with me to produce papers that I used in creating the inivitations for our son's Bar Mitzvah. It was truly a labor of love, I believe for both of us, and I was so proud and happy with the results. I seated Jeanette with my artist/uncle at the luncheon following the service, and Jeanette later told me how much she enjoyed meeting my uncle and "talking art".
I remember also being in a bookstore with Jeanette. She was looking for a book about flowers and found one that contained the information she wanted, but told me that she could not bring herself to buy it because her father, who had been a bookbinder, would not have approved of the way it was printed and bound. As a lover of letterpress printing, I totally understood.
I did not see Jeanette as much after we moved from West Hartford, but we did have lunch together at my house and on another occasion was so pleased when she came to the opening of an exhibit of my collages in Essex. I was delighted that she liked one of them enough to want it for herself.
Jeanette was a lovely friend and mentor, and I will never forget her.
Please let me know when you plan her memorial service.
My best to both of you in the days ahead.
Norma Rogin
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