SALISBURY — Edith (Edie) Twiss Loening, of New York City and Salisbury, died on Feb. 23, 2024, at 88. Raised in New York City and a graduate of The Chapin School and Smith College, Edie was best known for her work at The Garden Club of America, her dry sense of humor, and her skill as a watercolor artist.
In 1960 the lovely petite blond married dashing lawyer Michael Loening, (who predeceased her in 2022), and had two sons, Brooke and George. When her children were in their teens, Edie began volunteering. Ahead of her time in many areas, her sons recall her teaching children at New York public schools how to build raised beds and grow vegetables on the school property—a practice that is popular today but was not so common back then. Her interest in the natural world also expressed itself through art: Edie was a talented watercolorist who painted flowers, plants and vegetables with photorealistic skill.
Joining The Garden Club of America in 1985, she became a prominent member of both the New York City and Millbrook, New York chapters, where she received many awards for helping to create exhibits that educated both members and the public on a wide range of environmental issues, including the importance of wildlife preservation and the impact of invasive plants and insects on the native landscape. Much loved by all in the GCA and a wide circle of friends, she was remembered as a hard worker, for her great wit and as a true environmentalist.
She is survived by her sons and grandchildren, Heidi, Lola, Chloe, Luke, and Ruby.
Photo by Graham Corrigan
