obituaries

Sally Vagliano Pettus

SHARON — Sally Vagliano Pettus died peacefully at her home in Sharon, in the afternoon of Tuesday, April 22. She was surrounded by her husband, Peter Pettus, and her three sons, Josh and Ian Findlay, and Justin Vagliano.

Raised in Gates Mills, Ohio, Sally attended Laurel School followed by Sarah Lawrence College. After graduating college, she became a quintessential New Yorker, ultimately dividing her time between the city and her beloved second home in Sharon.

Sally was a creator. A massively prolific artist, she produced pieces large and small, bronze and oil, public and private. She has forest paintings hanging in some of the most influential offices in the world and imposing cast bronze leaf sculptures installed in public parks and private gardens. She also designed physical spaces. From her own artist’s loft in Soho, New York, and cherished garden in Sharon, to her public-space designs that were considered for the 9/11 Memorial and a student center at the Indian Mountain School, her range was awe-inspiring.

Sally was a fantastic cook, very rarely using a recipe, and relying instead upon her constant, spontaneous imagination. A charismatic host, she loved having family and friends for dinner, normally around a table that she had envisioned and realized.
Sally leaves behind her devoted husband, Peter; her sons, Josh, Ian and Justin; her stepchildren, Charlton and Cybele Pettus; and eight grandchildren, Nathaniel and Grayson Findlay, Will and Caroline Findlay, Andrew and Alec Vagliano, and Georgica and Harry Pettus.

Her legacy of creativity and inspiration will endure in all who knew her. A bright fire has gone out, and it will be dearly missed.
The family plans to hold a private service in the upcoming months. In lieu of flowers, they have asked that any memorial donations be made to Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County (vnhlc.org) and to The Little Guild Animal Shelter (littleguild.org).

The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.

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