Greer Fitting

1943 - 2017

Greer Aladar Fitting TROY - Greer Aladar Fitting, an artist, activist, writer, mother, grandmother and longtime resident of both Green Island and Troy, New York, died peacefully on May 21 at Albany Medical Center. She was 73. Greer was born in New York City on October 22, 1943. The daughter of two bohemian artists, Gertrude Russell and Oscar Collier, she was later adopted by Gertrude’s second husband, also an artist, Frank Barrer. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from City College. A true Renaissance woman and an incredible intellect, she had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, with particular interests in art, history, politics, religion (primarily Islam) and the sciences. Greer participated in a broad array of activities, from protesting during the civil rights era to performing as a semi-professional flautist at Indian music concerts in New York City. Greer’s first marriage ended in divorce. She went on to have two daughters, Miriam and Rebecca, with her second husband Melvin Fitting, a professor. In 1972, the Fitting family moved from New York City to a farm in Stephentown, New York. With the exception of a few years living near New York City, Greer remained in upstate New York for the next 45 years. While homesteading and renovating their historic farmhouse in Stephentown, Greer and Melvin coauthored a book about their experiences during the back-to-the-land movement, called In Praise of Simple Things: A Young Couple’s Guide to Self-Sufficiency (David McKay, 1975). Greer was also a professional illustrator, working on a number of books including Alice in Puzzle-Land: A Carrollian Tale for Children Under 80 by Raymond Smullyan(William Morrow, 1982). Greer’s professional life included jobs as a clerical typist, an illustrator, an author and an administrative assistant at the New York State Department of Health. After divorcing in 1983, Greer devoted herself full-time to her true life’s work: a wide range of artistic, political and cultural pursuits. Greer saw possibility everywhere. She had a talent for repurposing everyday things into useful objects, art pieces and statements. Her life was performance art and she brought a wry, intelligent sense of humor and play to everything she did. Greer often incorporated postage stamps and supplies from the United States Postal Service into her creative work. She included them in pen-and-ink drawings with evocative and political or playful handwritten phrases and found items. A needlecraft enthusiast, her unique crochet patterns were published in many crafts magazines. Among her most notable creations was a double helix crochet pattern, which was based on the human genome and inspired by her interest in the sciences. Greer was devoted to her community. She regularly attended political and community events and was an active lobbyist and correspondent with elected officials. She always found a way to donate her time and energy, be a neighborhood presence and provide for others with gestures big and small. Throughout her life she took great pride in contributing to her surroundings, both economically and personally. No matter where she lived she became a local fixture and her generosity touched many lives. She was fiercely independent, a singular individual whose eccentricities were part of her charm. She treasured her ability to live life on her own terms, in her own charismatic, multifaceted ways. This was the bedrock of her personality. As she was a vibrant presence in her community for so many years, it is hard to imagine her neighborhood or the world without her. She will be deeply missed. Greer is survived by daughters Miriam and Rebecca Fitting, grandsons Constantin Rotundu and Noah Spencer, and half-siblings Lisa Collier Cool, Sophia Collier, Aurora Russell, Christopher Collier and Clayton Collier-Cartaino. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at the Cohoes Public Library, 169 Mohawk Street, Cohoes, New York on Friday, June 16 at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Friends of the Cohoes Public Library (www.cohoespubliclibrary.org/index.php/about/friends-of-the-library/) and Scrap (www.scrap-sf.org/donate.)