Mystic resident Edith Cowles, loving mother and grandmother, died Tuesday, April 11. She was 98. "Edie" will be remembered as a grand and gracious lady full of spunk and spark.
Edie was born January 15, 1908 in Norwichtown, CT and graduated from Baltic Academy, later attending Norwich Art School which subsequently became the Slater Museum. She was accepted to Pratt Institute, but her parents were reluctant to let her go after losing their other daughter, Margaret, to tuberculosis in New York City at the age of 22.
Edie studied and created art her entire life until macular degeneration made it nearly impossible. Even at the age of 94 and legally blind, she took a pastel class as part of the Women's Voices program in New London. Working by feel and intuition, she produced and displayed two vibrant abstracted floral works at a local gallery.
Edie was the daughter of William Alexander Somers and Edith Lawton Somers. She married architect H. Eugene Grieshaber, Jr. on September 13, 1940. With characteristic flair, she worked by his side drafting interiors of the houses he designed. They lived in New London where they raised their children, and where she continued to study art under Harve Stein at the Lyman Allyn Museum.
After her husband's death in 1960, Edie pursued their mutual interest in sports cars by attending race car flag school. This experience and plenty of pluck gave her the credentials she needed to be the finish-line flagger at Limerock, Thompson, and Sebring race tracks for the occasional race.
She married Col. Charles Woodford Cowles, US Army, in the 1960s. The pair traveled extensively to Asia, Europe and Alaska. Following his death in 1974 Edie accepted an invitation to sail the Virgin Islands aboard a large schooner where she painted in watercolors, her favorite medium.
Edie may have come from a time before technology, but she was a modern woman, and one could talk to her unabashedly about any subject. She was utterly nonjudgmental and always ready for a good laugh or a silly prank. Edie loved to dance, and danced well into her nineties with anyone who was game.
As a mother, grandmother and friend, Edie was kind, caring and welcoming. She was ready with a hot meal, a supportive word, an understanding glance or hug at just the right moment. She was always interested in people's lives and what they were up to. If you proposed an idea to her that might have been considered wild, bold, daring or just plain hare-brained—chances are Edie would tell you to go for it. One of her favorite stories was how one night out of the blue she called a long lost friend to ask her if she felt like taking a cross country road trip. Without even being sure of who was on the other end, the elderly buddy agreed to the trip. It was only at the close of the conversation that she thought to ask who it was that had made the invitation. Several days later, the two of them left for California in Edith’s beloved Peugot. She was in her early 80’s at the time. Her zest for life and all that it had to offer was an inspiration to all who knew her.
Edith leaves behind a son, Hugo E. Grieshaber III, and his life companion Geraldine Badalucca of Mystic. She is also survived by her three daughters: Gretchen Higgins of Groton Long Point, Frederica Grieshaber of New York City, and Katrina Grieshaber of Sunrise, FL; as well as by three grandsons, Christopher and Peter Higgins of New York City and James Grieshaber and his wife Suzanne; and one great grandchild, Jake Grieshaber of Fort Lauderdale, FL.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick Church, East Main Street, Mystic on Monday, April 17th at 11am. Fr. Charles A. McGrail, Pastor, will be celebrant Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Norwich. There are no visiting hours.
Donations in her memory may be sent to the Mystic Arts Center where a fund has been set up for an annual watercolor award.
Edith's family sends their warm and heartfelt thanks to the residents of Academy Point for their friendship, and to the staff of Academy point and Lawrence and Memorial 5.2 for their excellent standard of care and genuine concern for Edith and her family.
To send a message of remembrance/condolence to her family, please click the link below.