Mary Markert Arnold

Mary Markert Arnold

LAKEVILLE — Mary Markert Arnold, 84, died on Nov. 11, 2024. She was born on Feb. 19, 1940, in Shanghai, China. She grew up around the world, spending significant portions of her childhood in Mexico and Puerto Rico, two countries that left an indelible mark on her life. She moved back to the United States to attend high school at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and soon after graduation she married her husband, the late John T. Arnold. They settled in Summit, New Jersey, where they lived for 28 years to raise their family. While raising her children, Mary studied nursing at Seton Hall University, received a master’s degree in nursing from New York University, and then became a Licensed Nurse Practitioner (LNP). She worked as an emergency room nurse and became the Patient Ombudsman at Overlook Hospital in Summit. She was also a member of the Summit Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Later in her career, she worked as a Specialist in Oncology at Memorial Sloane Kettering and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals in New York City. She also completed the Post-Master’s Certificate Program at Ackerman Institute for the Family.

For the last 30 years, Mary called Lakeville her home spending the last two years at Brandywine Living in Litchfield. She was an active member of the local community, starting a family therapy practice and working closely with the local food pantry. She was an avid horsewoman and loved being at the barn with her beloved horses – first Bagan and then Quieto. She travelled extensively, often visiting Latin America, a region close to her heart since childhood. A fluent Spanish speaker, she loved the Spanish language, Latin American culture and Mexican music. She often used her professional expertise and language skills to volunteer with health and humanitarian groups across the region. Mary also enjoyed spending time outside with her dogs, tending to her gardens, reading, listening to music and doing handiwork. She was a master weaver and craftswoman – often combining her love of weaving and gardening by dying wool using hollyhocks from her garden. She often marveled at the behavior of the birds that took up residence in the kitchen gutter and the design of a spider web glistening in the morning dew.

Mary was predeceased by her husband, John T. Arnold, her daughter, Tina Arnold, and her parents, Philip and Maxine (Maxwell) Markert. Mary is survived by three children; Mark Arnold (Elaine) of Lakeville, Heidi Prins (Tom) of Tiverton, Rhode Island and Estero, Florida, and Matthew Arnold (Tama) of Lexington, Massachusetts. She is also survived by seven grandchildren; Suzanne (Soadad) and Jim (Madison) Arnold, John (Kennedy), Philip and Trescher Prins, and Naomi and Nina Arnold. Her brother, Philip Markert (Susan) of Washington Depot, also survives her, as do sisters-in-law Ellen Lloyd of Haverford, Pennsylvania and Judy Arnold of Willow Street, Pennsylvania and brother-in-law William Arnold (Margaret) of McKinney, Texas. She also leaves behind many adored nieces, nephews and cousins.

A celebration of Mary’s life will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. at the Salisbury Town Grove, 42 Ethan Allen Street, Lakeville, CT, 06039.

Arrangements are under the care of Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Corner Food Pantry, PO Box 705 Lakeville, CT 06039 (thecornerfoodpantry.org/) or Salisbury Association, PO Box 553, Salisbury, CT 06068 (https://salisburyassociation.org/).

To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com

Latest News

Fallen trees injure man, destroy fences at dog shelter

Two uprooted locust trees still lie in the yard in front of Animal Farm Foundation’s original kennels where they fell on a fence during a storm on Thursday, June 19.

Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Fallen trees, uprooted and splintered during a thunderstorm, injured a man, destroyed fences and damaged a dog kennel at the Animal Farm Foundation facilities in Bangall.

Isaias Nunez was cleaning along a road on the property with Marco Ortiz, another employee of the dog shelter, when the storm rolled in on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit millertonnews.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less