This may be my first post from the obituaries, however, it deserves to be here in places to go, things to do, and South Jersey history for three reasons: 1. African American History month, 2. South Jersey History, and 3. Women's History month coming up.
Dr Doris Wether, broke so many barriers and saved so many lives. Fortunately for her, she also lived a long life. She died in January at the age of 91. In her career, she broke barriers by being one of the few African American women admitted to medical school, and she rose to positions of prominence at every hospital where she worked. Also, at every hospital, she opened sickle cell anemia centers to do research, education, and screening. The Sunday New York Times obituary section said she raised the life expectancy of hundreds if not thousands of children from 18 years of age to 50. One of the MANY benefits of the Women's Movement has been the inclusion of women of note in newspaper accounts.
My second obituary blog entry is about Lili Wronger, who died at age 94, here in New Jersey where she lived. She was a resident of Medford after living in London as a refugee from Germany during the second World War. Lili is another woman who overcame immense obstacles to achieve fame and success in her fields of calligraphy and illustration. After Kristalnacht, in Germany, a night in November 1938, when Lily was 14 years old, when Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogs were violently attacked and destroyed by Nazis, Lily's parents decided to send her and her sister to boarding school in England for their safety. Later, Dr. Cassel and his wife Lili's mother, joined their daughters in England before emigrating to the United States. Lily illustrated books, designed book covers and throughout her life studied calligraphy, in particular the history of Hebrew calligraphy, a field in which she acquired great respect and acclaim. Lily married a printer she met at the United Nations, and together they had two small presses in their apartment in New York. They had two children, a son and a daughter, and a grandson. Lily's husband pre-deceased her in 1996.
Perhaps I never mentioned it before, but when I studied Art at Rutgers, the State University, I also studied calligraphy with John Giannotti, a renowned professor, sculptor and calligrapher, whose father had been a sign maker and calligrapher. I have always loved both calligraphy and illustration, and I enjoyed reading that Lily Wronger had left an unfulfilling job to pursue her love of calligraphy and illustration and had made a satisfying, long and happy life following her dream.
Although I have been very active lately painting, I have always felt that I should have pursued drawing more. Like Lily, I have kept journals all my life, but I have rarely illustrated them, mostly in my college days, but not in the past thirty or so years. I don't draw enough and my art has suffered as a result. Often over the years, I have thought that perhaps I should have studied illustration, but I must say during my years as an adjunct professor at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, the level of achievement and talent of the illustration majors was daunting to say the least! Maybe I wouldn't have loved it so much if I had to do it all the time. Who knows, anyhow, now I can do it for fun and when I feel like it. I had an excellent career as a teacher, did a lot of good, and now that I am retired, I have time to do anything I want to do!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
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