Elizabeth Palmer "Tina" Mansfield

ELIZABETH PALMER MANSFIELD "TINA"

passed away on Wednesday night, December 26, 2007 at her home in New Canaan, CT of natural causes. She was 89 years old. Tina and her family lived in the New Canaan area for 58 years.

She was born in Mount Vernon, NY in 1918 to Edward Pennock Palmer (1885 - 1954) and Aliph B. Smith (1901-1929). Tina's father was a civil engineer, a principal in the firm Senior and Palmer, Inc. and responsible for designing many of New York City's subway tunnels as well as the underwater foundations for the George Washington Bridge and the Metro North Railroad Bridge. Her mother was a music teacher. As a birthright Quaker, Tina attended Friends Academy and then enrolled as music major at Vassar College graduating in 1939. Thereafter, she participated in one of the first Masters in Music Education programs at Columbia Teachers College and spent her summers as a music student in the Boston Symphony Orchestra program at Tanglewood. She received her Masters of Arts in Education in 1941 from Columbia.

That same year Tina married Albert Joseph Bergfeld in a Quaker ceremony at her father's home in Mount Vernon, NY. Their three children, C. Daniel Bergfeld "Dan", Kristin Palmer Bergfeld, and Lisa Pennock (Bergfeld) Soleau spent their early years living in their grandfather's house and sharing in the pleasure of his company. In 1947, Tina and her husband bought land near the village of Old Long Ridge in North Stamford, CT. They built a home that 'brought nature inside' by using floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking rock gardens and a babbling brook flowing through the natural landscape. The family moved into their new home in 1949, and Tina returned to music as a recorder teacher to children and their parents. That same year she started a tradition of bringing family and friends together to sing a cappella Christmas carols, most recently at St. Francis Church in Old Long Ridge.

Tina loved to sing and participated in both church and secular choral groups, including the First Presbyterian Church Choir, St. Mark's Church Choir (New Canaan), Second Congregational Church Choir (Old Greenwich), Berkshire Choral Festival, and Greenwich Choral Society, serving as President of the latter group. She also was a Board member of Melodious Accord, the foundation supporting the composing and singing of a cappella music, directed by Alice Parker. In addition, she was a member of the Tuesday Consort, an early music group, as both a singer and instrumentalist.

Tina's husband Al Bergfeld predeceased her in 1976. In 1979, she married Judge Walter R. Mansfield of the Federal Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Through their marriage Walter and Tina created a happy extended family of Mansfields, Bergfelds, Rients, and Bayleses. Judge Mansfield died in 1987. Tina is survived by her three children: her son, Dan Bergfeld of New Canaan, CT, and daughters Kristin Bergfeld of New York City and Lisa Soleau and her husband David S. Soleau who with their sons Jason Soleau and Tyler Soleau reside in Concord, MA. She is also survived by step sons (Peter Rient, Matthew Mansfield, James Bayles), and step daughters (Trina Bayles and Mary Mansfield); grandchildren (Peter's son Sprague Rient, and daughter Nell Rient), (Matthew's sons Phillip Mansfield and Brendan Mansfield), and (Trina and James' daughters, Jen Bayles, Brooke Bayles and Katie Bayles), and great grand daughter Kayla Bayles.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00AM, Saturday, January 19 at the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, 178 Oenoke Ridge Road, New Canaan, CT 06840 (203) 966-0002.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the First Presbyterian Church Choir program, Greenwich Choral Society, or Melodious Accord.