Constance Salter

Constance (Smith) Salter, 91, a longtime resident of West Boylston, passed away on Sunday, October 30, 2011 at Homestead Hall in Worcester after a short illness. Connie was born on April 6, 1920, the daughter of Paul Sherman Smith and Gertrude (Davis) Smith. She graduated from North High School, class of 1938. She married Thomas Lowell Salter on November 8, 1941. They moved to West Boylston in 1949 and lived on Blake Avenue for about 5 years before moving to 92 Pierce St. where she lived up until last October when she moved to Homestead Hall. She is survived by a son, Christopher L. Salter and his wife Jayne, of Holden, a daughter, Robin S. Chevalier and her husband David, of Barre, Vermont; six grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Her husband Tom died in 1988.

Connie's passion in life was her art work. She helped her husband run the Salter Secretarial School at 45 Cedar St. in Worcester until the school was sold in the mid eighties, creating catalogs and brochures for the school and freelancing as a graphic designer for area businesses. At the same time, she continued to pursue her interest in art, graduating from the Worcester Art Museum School and taking classes at The Worcester Craft Center. After she acquired a small etching press, she began experimenting with printmaking techniques. In her words: "Printmaking is a unique way of applying color to a surface. Experimenting with the various techniques and materials used to produce prints, and the multitude of ways the plate, the ink, and the paper work together to make the finished image is always a challenge and a delight for me".

Her work in print making led Connie to an interest in making her own paper. She spent many years making paper, turning everything from junk mail to the herbs and weeds growing in her back yard into homemade paper. She wrote: "Paper pulp is a wonderful tactile material that can be manipulated in endless ways. Pulp can be shaped, colored, embedded, producing results from smooth and thin to almost sculptural".

During this time, Connie also taught art in the West Boylston schools and exhibited at Arts Worcester, at the Fitchburg Art Museum and in many regional shows. She was a member of the Princeton Art Association. As an extension of her interest in art, Connie worked as a docent at the Worcester Art Museum for many years. She was devoted to the museum and led many tours for area groups. Connie painted with watercolors and taught watercolor painting to local groups. She maintained an active printmaking and papermaking studio in her home for many years. In addition, Connie loved to work in her garden, tend her houseplants and care for her beloved dogs and cats. She was a volunteer at NEADS for several years, spending time helping to care for the young service dogs in training.

There will be no calling hours. The family will hold a private service of remembrance at The Oakdale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to NEADS, Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, online at www.neads.org or mailed to NEADS, P.O. Box 213, West Boylston, MA, 01583.