DEATH | November 1 – HvS

Spike, 1909-1994 (L) and Hilda van Stockum
Marlin, 1908-2006. Photo taken in NJ in 1971.

November 1, 2017–Hilda van Stockum died this day, All Saints Day, in 2006. This is the 11th anniversary of her death.

Sadly this year, the main news is that Sheila died of cancer on September 25, a month before her 78th birthday. Now the living siblings are five. Olga, Brigid, Randal, John, Lis.

Sheila's life was celebrated last month in Watford at her funeral and family lunch.

The tenth anniversary of HvS's death last year was celebrated with the re-issue of a new (2016) edition of her 1975 book The Borrowed House, originally published by Farrar Straus. The family HvS Remembrances post has recently been updated.

Here are some of HvS's many obituaries and appreciations:

Reissued in 2016.

USA
New York Times, Nov. 4, 2006, New York Sun, Nov. 3, 2006, Children's Literature Network, Bethlehem Books, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, Ana Braga-Henebry's Journal, Love2Learn Mom, Top Ten Sources - Children's Media, Hiram Library, Karen Edmisten Blog, Mailgate.
CANADA Toronto Globe and Mail, Nov. 2, 2006, National Post, Nov. 9, 2006.
IRELAND Irish Times, Nov. 18, 2006.
UK Books for Keeps, Jan. 2007, Berkhamsted Gazette, Nov. 8, 2006, World People's Blog, Achockoblog (Achuka).  
NETHERLANDS (in Dutch) Het Parool (Amsterdam, WWII Underground Resistance Newspaper), Nov. 9, 2006, Leesplein. 
GERMANY (in German) German-Language Wikipedia.  
KENYA Daily Nation, Nairobi, Nov. 14, 2006, p. 38. 
NEW ZEALAND Dorothy Neal White Newsletter. 

Related Posts: HvS English-Language Wikipedia Entry . HvS Dutch-Language Wikipedia Entry . Her brother Willem . European Pilgrimage 1954-55 . New Purple House Press Edition of The Borrowed House . Remembrances by Her Family (Updated to 2016)

SHEILA O'NEILL | Visit in Watford, Sept. 20

L to R: Sheila, Brigid, Alice and Chris (Brigid's
son). Photo by JT Marlin.

Sept. 22, 2017 – My sister Sheila Marlin O'Neill retired in July for health reasons as Principal of the High Elms Manor Montessori School.

This was after 50 years of teaching and educational administration. High Elms Manor is in Garston, near Watford.

She is now being well looked after at the hospital in Watford. Her four daughters Roisin, Catrine, Lili and Ailise visit her in turns.

Alice and I went with Brigid and her son Chris on Wednesday (visiting hours are from 4 pm), and arrived as Sheila's youngest daughter Ailise was leaving.

L to R: Sheila, Brigid and John, three of the six children
of Spike and Hilda van Stockum Marlin. (Photo by
Alice Tepper Marlin, five days before Sheila died.)

Sheila asked us: "Tell me stories."

Sheila and her daughters had their 15+ minutes of fame six years ago as they and their home, High Elms Manor, were the subject of episodes of Country House Rescue, the popular British television show.

The family received great compliments from the show's host, Ruth Watson. She said that no other country house rescuers had been so responsive to her suggestions.

Postscript: Sheila died on September 25. 

Newspaper Stories: Sheila's Retirement . Sheila's Death.

Other Posts: Sheila Marlin O'Neill, R.I.P. . Sheila's Daughters and Grands . Sheila's Funeral

I am told that to comment on this post now seems to require a Google account and password etc. I'm really sorry about that. If you wish to send a correction or comment, please write to the blogger at teppermarlin[at]aol.com. I have substituted [at] for @ to thwart bots that look for email addresses embedded in messages.

HvS | RHA Exhibitions, 1990-2000

Visit at High Elms Manor yesterday.
L to R: John Tepper Marlin, Sheila
Marlin O'Neill, Brigid Marlin Oakley.
Photo by Alice Tepper Marlin.

Yesterday my sister Brigid and I visited with our sister Sheila at High Elms Manor, Watford, Herts. My wife Alice and nephew Chris were also on the visit and their photos appear in another post.

Sheila passed on to me copies of several Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts exhibition catalogs for the year 1990-2000 that contain references to the art of our mother Hilda van Stockum, HRHA (1908-2006).

I have started below a list of the art at the RHA exhibitions, with thumbnail photos by permission of the Estate of Hilda van Stockum, as a step toward the day when someone might prepare a more ambitious lifetime catalog of HvS art.

Our Dad, E. R. (Spike) Marlin (1909-1994), personally supervised the crating and delivery of art each year until he died in 1994. After that the Exhibition became a joint effort, as I understand it, of HvS and her two artist daughters Brigid Marlin and Sheila Marlin O'Neill. Maybe they will add to this post over time, as will I. If you have additions or corrections, or can add the current location of any piece of art, please send this information to me at teppermarlin@aol.com.

HvS, Bottles and Glasses,
RHA 1990.

RHA 1990 
160th Exhibition, April 24-May 26

410. Heather and Winter Jasmine

        Oil
        16x19.5"
        IR£2,300

411. Bottles and Glasses (Photo at right)

        Oil
        20.5x15.5
        IR£2,500

412. Apples and Copper Kettle

        Oil
        20x23.5
        IR£2,500

HvS, Orchids and
Jasmine, RHA 1991.

RHA 1991
161st Exhibition, April 30-May 25

508. Icelandic Poppies
        Oil
        13x15"
        IR£1,800
509. Orchids and Jasmine (Photo at right)
        Oil
        25x18"
        IR£3,800 (Photo at left)
510. Three Bottles
        Oil
        17x13"
        IR£3,000

RHA 1992 
162nd Exhibition, April 29-May 23

490. Old Dutch Coffee Pot and Pears

HvS, Tomatoes and Crackle-
Glazed Vase, RHA 1992.

        Oil
        17x21", IR£3,000

491. Red Pears in Copper Pan
        Oil
        12x14", IR £3,000

492. Tomatoes and Crackle-Glazed Vase (Photo at right)
        Oil
        19x29", IR£4,800

RHA 1993
163rd Exhibition, April 27-May 22

393. Fruit Bowl and Tankard (Photo at right)

HvS, Fruit Bowl and Tankard,
RHA 1993.

        Oil

        15x15.25"

        IR£2,500

394. Canterbury Bells

        Oil

        15x12"

        IR£1,500

395. Copper Kettle and Apples

        Oil

        14x18"

        IR£2,300

RHA 1996
166th Exhibition, April 23-May 18

456. Brass Kettle, Cup and Jug (Photo at right)

HvS, Brass Kettle, Cup and Jug,
RHA 1996.

        Oil
        27x22"
        IR£2,000
457. Rose Bowl with Flowers
        Oil
        19.5x18"
        £IR1,600
458. Peaches in China Bowl
        Oil
        25.5x21"
        IR£2,000
459. Copper Bowl with Apple

        Oil

        19.5x18"
        IR£1,600

In his review of the 166th Exhibition, Brian Fallon in The Irish Times says that Hilda van Stockum "still rules the field in still life" (see clip at right).

RHA 2000
170th Exhibition, April 11-May 13

HvS, Still Life with Apples, 
RHA 2000.

394. Still Life with Crystal Vase

        Oil on gesso paper

        22x15"

        IR£1,000

395. Still Life with Apples (Photo at right)

        Oil on gesso paper

        16x23.5"

        IR£1,000