Angela Christine "Chris" Novey

There was never a dog that Chris Novey came across that she did not want to pet or bring home. They brought her incredible joy, and she treated her own throughout her life with the love that all dogs deserve. She was a nature lover through and through, with a special affection for animals and plants.

Even as she battled through Alzheimer’s in her final years, her love of nature still shined through. She collected leaves and flowers for her artwork and delighted in seeing cardinals—birds that often reminded her of her parents, Eleazar T. and Harry Miley.

Chris was born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 11, 1950, and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. She graduated from Florida State University and married her husband Ed in 1972. The couple then relocated to Miami, where Chris taught special education for four years, supporting Ed as he attended medical school at the University of Miami. In 1976, the couple moved to Gainesville, Florida, where Ed was a neurology resident. During those years, Chris and Ed welcomed their sons, Daniel and Levi. Chris also found time to take art classes at the University of Florida. In 1980, the couple moved to Athens, Georgia, where Ed joined the practice of Athens Neurological Associates.

Chris was a devoted homemaker and spent much of her time raising her boys. She designed imaginative celebrations for her family, including a legendary Ghostbusters-themed birthday party. For Halloween, she created unique, memorable costumes for her sons—among them an award-winning Pee-Wee Herman outfit for Levi and an elaborate paper mache mask and costume for Daniel of the McDonald’s “Mac Tonight” character.

While Chris dedicated herself to her family, art was her true calling. She would regularly spend 6 to 8 hours a day, five days a week, in her art studio creating. She produced an impressive and imaginative body of work in a wide range of mediums, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, three-dimensional displays, and digital art. However, it was through etchings and printmaking that she most excelled, creating many of her most celebrated and distinctive pieces.

Her art explored themes of humor, dreams, surrealism, animals, family, and pop culture. She produced hundreds of works—sometimes sold through art shows and often given lovingly to family and friends. Some memorable titles include One Stray Mutt with Its Butt Jacked Up, Wild Things on Parade, and Mother Earth Won’t Leave My Living Room.

Chris continued to deepen her artistic practice by attending graduate school at the University of Georgia, earning her Master of Fine Arts in 1995. She later taught at the Lyndon House Arts Center and served as an early member of its board of directors, contributing to the growth and spirit of Athens’ creative community. Many of her friends and the people she met through her art noted Chris’s positive influence and honor the legacy of her expertise in printmaking.

In addition to her art, Chris enjoyed Scrabble, gardening, writing letters, music of all genres, traveling to destinations far and wide—which always included mandatory visits to art museums—and she loved the beach, especially the North Florida Gulf Coast.

Chris is survived by her husband, Dr. Edward Novey; her sons Daniel and Levi; her daughter-in-law Alicia; her granddaughter Coral; her sister, Carol Sheppard, and brother-in-law Neil; her niece Melissa Kerns; and her nephew David Kerns III and his family Anu, Hannah, and Lea.

A memorial service will be held for Chris on Saturday, December 20th at 11:00 a.m. at the Day Chapel of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, with a reception immediately to follow. 

In lieu of flowers, Chris would appreciate donations to the Athens Area Humane Society. Donate – Athens Area Humane Society

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, East, Athens, GA is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com