Joan H. Wallace

LAKEVILLE — Joan H. Wallace, artist, political activist, and long-time resident of New York City and the Northwest Corner died at home in Lakeville, at age 93, on Oct. 30, 2024.
Ms. Wallace, née Joan Elaine Hochstuhl, was born in 1931, the daughter of Elsie Wibben and Ernest Hochstuhl, both the offspring of German immigrants. Much of her childhood was spent in Syosset, Long Island with a couple of years in the Adirondack town of Bloomingdale where she sought relief from severe childhood asthma. She attended secondary school at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York, and received an associate degree from Lasell College.
Fresh out of college, Ms. Wallace moved to New York City where she worked in public relations for The New Yorker magazine and dabbled in creative writing. A couple of her stories were published in Esquire magazine, something viewed by her parents as scandalous for a young lady. In 1956, she met a young engineer, George A. P. Wallace, and they married in 1957, had three children, and remained together for 54 years, until Mr. Wallace passed away in 2011.
Although Ms. Wallace returned to work in public relations for the Museum of Modern Art during the 1970s, she was above all an accomplished artist and lifelong student of art, specializing in oil painting, drawing, pastels, and photography. In New York City, she studied art history at Columbia University for three years, completed a four-year certificate program at the Art Students League, two years of study in composition and art analysis at the National Academy School of Fine Arts, and studied advanced photographic and darkroom techniques at the New School-Parsons School of Design. At one time, six mural-sized versions of her New York City cityscape photographs were on permanent exhibit in the New York City headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield. Her work was shown in various galleries and exhibits, and she sold works to private collectors.
Ms. Wallace and her husband were active art patrons during their time in New York, as well as the brief years they were residents of Portland, Maine, Boston, Massachusetts, and finally in the Northwest Corner where they lived permanently from 1998 onwards. In addition to fine arts, they supported theater, opera, and early music. Ms. Wallace was passionate about politics, the positive role of government, and a firm believer in active participation in the democratic process. She worked on several political campaigns, notably those of John Lindsay for mayor of New York City and Hubert Humphrey for president, including hosting campaign events in her home. She encouraged her children to also volunteer in political campaigns. Ms. Wallace was an ardent feminist and early supporter of National Organization of Women (NOW) and worked steadfastly on their behalf for many years. She was also a devoted pacifist and threw herself into opposition of the Vietnam War, including helping to organize the huge New York City march in October 1969 that made up part of the national Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam.
Certainly, a highlight of her life was her fascination with Italy, including its long history, art, architecture, religious evolution, and present-day society. In 1988, she and her husband purchased a property in the medieval hill town of Casole d’Elsa. Together they renovated the house, a slice of the wall built in the 11th century with the village on the inside and sweeping views of Tuscan farmland on the outside. Their many trips to Casole were the springboard for extensive travels in Italy, Greece, Turkey, many friendships, and a window into the rather frenetic, but wonderful, chaos of present-day Italian society.
Philanthropy was important to Ms. Wallace and, in addition to her support for the arts, she and her husband supported many national and local environmental organizations, including Salisbury Land Trust, Sharon Audubon, Appalachian Mountain Club, American Bird Conservancy, and Sierra Club.
She is fondly remembered by her family and friends as an active conversationist, an avid reader, and one who was always sensitive to the beauty around her. Ms. Wallace is survived by a son, George E. Wallace of Salisbury, a daughter, E. Ainslie Wallace of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and eight grandchildren, four of whom are the offspring of her daughter Elaine who passed away in 2019.
A private memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Union of Concerned Scientists either via their website at www.ucsusa.org or by mail to Union of Concerned Scientists, 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02138.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
CORNWALL — Clyde Perham Weed, 74, passed away peacefully at his home in West Cornwall, Connecticut on Sunday, August 17.
Clyde was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Jeanne and Herbert Weed. He was the grandson and namesake of Clyde E. Weed, Chairman of the board of Anaconda Copper.
Clyde was a gifted scholar. He did his undergraduate work at Vassar College, his Master’s and PhD at Columbia University. He was a wonderful Professor of Political Science and taught at Colgate University, Baruch College and spent the last 20 years of his career as a tenured Professor of Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University.
Clyde had remarkable energy and a vivacity that is hard to explain! Through his teaching, kindness and mentorship he touched so many lives.
He also wrote two important works on political realignment theory, “The Nemesis of Reform: The Republican Party during the New Deal,” published by Columbia University Press; and “The Transformation of the Republican Party 1912-1936 from Reform to Resistance”. At the time of his death, he was completing a manuscript on the political thought of Walter Lippmann during the New Deal.
Clyde loved nature and all animals. He spent many happy years walking and loving the natural beauty in West Cornwall.
Clyde leaves behind his wife of 24 years, Amy Weed, and brother Michael Weed of Los Altos, California, sister- in-law, Patricia Hurley, nieces, Emily and Maggie Weed, Brielle Cleary and nephews Jesse Weed, Daniel and Teagen Cleary. He also leaves behind his beloved Scottish Terrier “Hoover.”
Calling hours will be at The Kenny Funeral Home, 41 Main Street, Sharon, CT 06069 on Wednesday, Aug. 27 from 5 p.m. to 7.p.m.
In lieu of flowers please consider sending contributions to The Little Guild of St. Francis, an animal shelter, 285 Sharon Goshen Tpke, West Cornwall, CT 06796.
Clyde was much loved and will be truly missed by all who knew and loved him.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
AMENIA — Sidewalk construction that will extend the town sidewalk to Beekman Park got underway this week along Route 44.
On Wednesday, August 20, the crew was checking excavation lines.
Work is expected to continue for the next three to four weeks. Residents should anticipate minor traffic delays.
Sidewalk construction that will extend the town sidewalk to Beekman Park got underway this week along Route 44. On Wednesday, August 20, excavation began. Project Manager Don D. was at the controls of the excavation equipment.Photo by Leila Hawken
In light of rising local interest in the centuries-old game of Backgammon, Wednesday afternoon backgammon instruction and play sessions are being offered at The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon. The first such session was held on Wednesday, Aug. 13, attracting two enthusiastic participants, both of whom resolved to return for the weekly sessions.
Expert player and instructor Roger Lourie of Sharon, along with his equally expert wife, Claude, led the session, jumping right into the action of playing the game. Claude chose to pair with Janet Kaufman of Salisbury, a moderately experienced player looking to improve her skills, while Lourie teamed himself with Pam Jarvis of Sharon, who was new to the game.
In 2023, Lourie formed Backgammon of Northwestern Connecticut with two objectives: to promote the game in the northwest corner of the state and to teach it to children and adults interested in learning. In addition to the Wednesday sessions at The Hotchkiss Library, an informal, casual group meets at Le Gamin in Sharon every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon.
Acting as co-chairman is Ed Corey who leads the Le Gamin sessions, offering advice and instruction. Both Corey and Lourie play competitively and have distinguished themselves by winning tournaments. There are no fees for participation at either Hotchkiss or Le Gamin. Children, ages 8 and up, are welcome to come and learn the game, along with adults of any experience level.
Lourie says that he can teach a person to play competitively in three lessons.
Sessions at The Hotchkiss Library will continue until the end of the year and perhaps beyond, depending on interest. Lourie will be the instructor until mid-November, when expert player Ed Corey will assume responsibility for the sessions at the Hotchkiss Library.
“We’re hoping for more people and also to see youngsters participating and learning the game,” Lourie said.
“The beginner can be the expert with the right dice,” said Lourie, explaining that it is a game combining chance and strategy. An understanding of mathematics and probability can be helpful.
Lourie summarized the randomness of dice and the strategy of poker. “I want to know the proper etiquette,” Kaufman offered, intent on knowing more about the proper moves, although her play indicated a credible level of skill.
Stopping in to observe the Hotchkiss session, executive director of the library, Gretchen Hachmeister said, “We know that people come to library game sessions. People love games, getting together to learn something new.”
Lourie learned the game under extremely unusual circumstances — as a detainee in a Soviet prison during the1960s missile crisis, while working in Naval Engineering to decipher code for the U.S. Office of Technological Security.
Imprisonment was not terrible, he said. There was predictable questioning by day when he repeated daily the details of his cover story. But at night, the guards — many the same age as the detainees — had finished their shifts and of interrogation.They unplugged the cameras to brew tea and the backgammon games would begin. That was how Lourie learned the game and became an expert.
Board games date back 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. Modern backgammon goes back to 17th-century England, having evolved from a 16th-century game called “Irish.”It grew in popularity in the 1960s, leading to formation of a World Backgammon Club in Manhattan. And then in 2023, Backgammon of Northwestern Connecticut came to be.
To learn more about the Backgammon sessions at The Hotchkiss Library, visit: www.hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org or contact Lourie directly at Rlourie@gmail.com.