Murray Jackson Wentworth

ONEONTA _ Murray Jackson Wentworth, 81, of Oneonta, passed away Saturday, March 22, 2008, at the A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital.
He was born Jan. 18, 1927, in Boston, Mass., the son of Harold and Mary Louise (Murray) Wentworth.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Elaine (Magnuson) Wentworth; their daughter and son-in-law, Janet Louise (Wentworth) Erickson and Norman T. Erickson; and two granddaughters, Christina Louise Erickson and Katherine T. Erickson, of East Meredith.
Mr. Wentworth graduated from Newton High School, Newton, Mass. Following military service with the Army Air Transport Command in Greenland during World War II, he returned home to study illustration at the Art Institute of Boston, where he later joined the faculty.
Murray Wentworth's distinguished career as an artist spans over five decades. He was the recipient of numerous national awards and memberships, including the prestigious National Academy and American Watercolor Society. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass., the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine, and Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City are among the museums and galleries to exhibit his work.
Devoted to landscape painting in watercolor, Mr. Wentworth drew inspiration from nature. As reflected in his statement: "I try to capture the atmosphere and light of the land, the changing seasons, and watercolor seems to best express these emotional responses." He conducted painting workshops throughout the United States and co-authored with his wife, "Watercolor for All Seasons," North Light Publishers, 1984.
After relocating from Massachusetts to Oneonta in 2003, to be near his daughter and family, Mr. Wentworth discovered the beauty of the local landscape as a rich source of inspiration for many paintings. His work is permanently represented at the Guild of Boston Artists, 162 Newbury St., Boston, and the Wright Gallery, Cape Porpoise, Maine, and soon to be on view at the Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main St., Cooperstown, April 4 through May 2, 2008.
A lifelong jazz lover and drummer, Mr. Wentworth and his wife were regulars at Sego's Cafe for Tuesday jazz nights, where Murray often sat in on the drums.
A memorial service will be held at the Main Street Baptist Church at the corner of Main and Maple Streets, Oneonta, at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, 2008.
Murray is the great-great-great-grandson of abolitionist William Jackson, owner of the Jackson Homestead, once a stop on the Underground Railroad. Now known as The Newton History Museum at the Jackson Homestead, memorial donations may be made to them at 527 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458.
Condolences to the family may be made online by visiting our website www.grummonsfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, Oneonta.