Obituaries

Grace Scilipoti Rubsamen, 98, Art Gallery Director

Former Mineola resident passed away on Jan. 25, 2013.

Grace Scilipoti Rubsamen passed away in her Florida home on Jan. 25, 2013 at the age of 98 with family members present.

Rubsamen began her life in Mineola, Long Island, New York and later moved with her parents (Michael Scilipoti and Lillian Crossen Scilipoti) to Towaco, New Jersey. She attended Boonton High School, where she met her high school sweetheart and future husband, Robert Brownlee Rubsamen.

She studied art and fashion design at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, where she cultivated a talent as a cartoonist.

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She married Bob on Feb. 19, 1937 and in the early 1950’s, the couple moved their young family to California, where Bob continued to pursue a successful career with General Motors. Grace worked as a Latin teacher and later as a library assistant. Throughout her life, however, her passion remained her art, and following Bob’s retirement in 1979, the two moved to Mendocino, California, where they joined an artists’ community. The couple both dedicated much time and energy to the Mendocino Art Center, where Grace spent several happy years as director of the art gallery. Throughout, she continued her explorations in oil, acrylic, water color and pastels, leaving a bounty of beautiful memories to be shared among family and friends.

After losing Bob to cancer in 1996, Grace moved to Raeford, NC, to be near her daughter, Christine, and family. She later relocated to Reno, Nevada, to be near her son, Richard and his family and settled in the Monaco Ridge assisted living facility, where she received loving care and continued painting until the last few months of her life.

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She is survived by her children: Anne Rubsamen Miller and Thomas Miller of Federal Way Washington; Christine and James Wright of Raeford, North Carolina; and Richard and Jane Rubsamen of Incline Village, Nevada. She was the grandmother of nine grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.

The family is planning a memorial service in Mendocino, California, in September 2013. Please send inquiries to PO Box 6338, Incline Village, Nevada, 89450.


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