Louise B. Weber

Louise Weber and her twin sister, Carolyn, were born in February 11, 1939 at Doctor's Hospital in New York City to William Harold Bokum and Hilda Hutsel Bokum. The family moved to Old Greenwich Ct, in August 1939.
Growing up on Tod's, Driftway, the twins and friends from Lucas Pointe, had all of Tod's Pointe as their private Natural playground, until the town purchased it and it became a public park in the early 1950s.
Louise, excelled, athletically and participated in all sports, especially enjoying team sports, where she was usually chosen as captain. In the sixth grade, she was the fastest runner in the class. She was also an avid reader, often hiding in the upper branches of the willow tree, or in the attic, to find a secluded place to read.
Louise attended old Greenwich Elementary school and Greenwich High school. She went to Wellesley College, (her mothers alma mater) where, as an art history major, she took her junior year in Paris, enjoying the French culture and the many museums. She later earned a MA in Fine Arts and / Fine Arts Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
While at Teachers College, she discovered the ceramics studio and began working in stoneware, porcelain and raku, a Japanese technique for rapid, outdoor firing. She built a raku kilm behind the house on Tod's Driftway and friends from Teachers College would bring out their pots for a full day of firing, before a swim and dinner. As she turned to working, mostly in porcelain, she sold her work through Mari Gallery in Mamaroneck, New York.
Louise was appointed to the seven member, Bruce Museum, board of trustees in 1978 and she envisioned an accredited museum for the Town of Greenwich. Accreditation is awarded by the American Alliance of Museums to a museum adhering to the highest standards in the field and fewer than 10% of American museums are accredited. This would allow the museum to borrow, and exhibit works of art from other institutions and encourage gifts to the museums collections. The Robert Bruce, home was not suited to the requirements for accreditation, so a new building became a necessity.
A new Director for the museum, Jack Clark, was hired, and the museum began moving into the future. Exhibitions became professional, outreach was enhanced, collections were inventoried, and new policies were written, the Board was expanded, membership increased, the Bruce Museum associates grew into a viable fundraising arm, generous donors appeared and architects, Shope, Reno, Wharton were hired. All efforts were focused on building a new museum.
Louise served as chairman of the board from 1988 to 1992, she was thrilled to see groundbreaking for the new building in 1990, with the new opening of it doors in 1992, on time and under budget. Accreditation by the AAM was achieved in 1995. Louise credited the strong, hands-on and harmonious teamwork of staff and Board for this gift to The Town of Greenwich.
Joining the Garden Club of Old Greenwich in 1983, Louise served as president from 1994- 1996 and again from 2006 – 2008. She actively supported the annual plant sale by bringing in over 100 homegrown potted plants each year. She tended The Colonial Herb Garden at the Bush Holly House and appeared on the cover of Greenwich Magazine in May 1997, at work in the garden. After developing her flower arranging skills at the clubs monthly meetings, she became a repeated winner of the coveted Marshburn Flower Arranging Trophy, winning it again in 2022. She leaves The Garden Club with the Louise Weber Bowl, a sterling revere bowl, to be awarded annually to a member for an innovative, or a new project that benefits the club. For the past three years, she has created the Garden Club's entry to the Greenwich Historical Society's festival of Table top Trees, winning an award each time for the club.
Louise was elected to the Board of Directors of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, member of National Garden Clubs in 1996. She served six years as Horticulture Chairman, writing the Horticulture Column for the monthly newsletter. She then served for six years as a Conservation Chairman, and another six years as Environmental Issues Chairman. She received a Tribute Award for her horticulture columns, and was a Life Member of the Federation.
When the purple finches started nesting on the door wreaths, she designed The Finch House, a half open box with a broad roof made of rustic cedar shakes. It was so successful, she had to make them for neighbors and friends, to accommodate the increasing Finch community. Comfortable with woodworking tools, she researched, and made her next boxes for eight more species, put them together in an exhibit, and won a top Educational Award at the Hartford Flower Show.
Louise married, William Ralph Weber, West Point 1959, with whom she had a son, mark, William Weber. They were able to travel extensively in Europe by car, visiting, museums, cathedrals, and cultural monuments in Denmark, Spain and Greece.
Louise played the piano beautifully, gave excellent Palmistry readings for friends, and as a member of the Society of American Magicians, did some table top magic. She also played a wicked game of pool, a skill learned in childhood.
Louise, especially loved Dahlias, and grew 20 to 22 varieties each year, many winning on the horticultural table. She also had a great love for animals, especially retrievers, and was often seen swimming alongside her golden retriever in the sound. She read the New York Times and the Greenwich Times each day, looking forward to, the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.
Cheerful, charming and gracious, Louise was generous to a fault with her time, ideas, and willingness to help, often behind the scenes. Knowledgeable on many topics, she was a valued member of every group she was a part of. Petite and graceful, she could be easily recognized from a distance with her shining platinum blonde hair pulled up in an elegant bun. She had an inherent sense of good taste that was evident in everything that she did.
Louise was predeceased by her parents, her son, Mark William Weber, her brother, Robert Hutsel Bokum, her brother-in-law, William Redmond, and a cousin, Jonathan Rich. She is survived by her niece, Lauren Alaer, and her sister, Carolyn Redman, and cousins David Rich and Louise Rich.
Burial will be at Putnam cemetery, 35 Parsonage Rd., Greenwich, CT. 06830.