REMEMBERING TOMIE on September 11, 2020

New Hampshire’s most popular governor, John Lynch, and his wife, Dr. Susan Lynch, were very kind to Tomie. When Dr. Lynch realized that Tomie had never met Mary Louise Hancock, Dr. Lynch arranged for a meeting during a relaxed lunch in Governor Lynch’s office in the State House in 2010.

Mary Louise Hancock had been called the “Grand Dame” of New Hampshire politics. PEOPLE magazine wrote in 1988 prior to the New Hampshire presidential primary that a visit with Mary Louise was “an obligatory stop” for Democratic candidates.

Months after that lunch, we had dinner with Mary Louise (seated) and her friend, Juliana Eades (then president of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund), at the New London Inn. Tomie was able to share stories of his family’s roller coaster adventures in politics. (Bob)

https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2018/05/memoriam-mary-louise-hancock-42

Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality

MEMORIAL CELEBRATION FOR TOMIE

A memorial celebration, organized by Tomie’s publishers, led by Simon & Schuster, will be on Zoom. Open to the public. No registration required.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 5:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.

Attend on Zoom: https://cbs.zoom.us/j/92178818488

A website will soon be available for you to post your own memories of Tomie. Watch here for more information.

Updates to this information will be posted in this News section of www.tomie.com. (Bob)

REMEMBERING TOMIE on September 10, 2020

Here’s Tomie performing with June Squibb (middle) in Provincetown in the 1960s.

June Squibb was nominated for an Academy Award for the film “Nebraska.” (Bob)

Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality

Day Nine of the September, 2020, Peace Novena

Think and say “Peace.”

REMEMBERING TOMIE on September 9, 2020

Tomie’s favorite hotel in NYC was the Mercer Hotel in Soho. He loved sitting in the lobby - reserved for hotel guests, celebrities, and models.

When he was designing a large room he planned to add onto his house, he tried to replicate a wall from the Mercer lobby in his new room. He called the completed room the Mercer Room.

Tomie was staying at the Mercer when Russell Crowe infamously threw a phone at a hotel clerk.

I scheduled Lasik surgery for my eyes in Montreal. I asked Tomie and a friend to accompany me as “nurses,” all expenses paid (health care is not cheap). I researched for weeks to find a Montreal hotel similar to the Mercer. I settled on the Hotel St. Paul, on the edge of Old Montreal. The Rolling Stones had stayed there. Why not Tomie?

We enjoyed the hotel so much that we returned for Tomie’s birthday with friends. Left to Right: Steve Ackerman, Bern Collins, me, Tomie, Jennette Stark (from Vancouver), Peter Collins.

Jennette wrote a poem for Tomie’s birthday. A Dale Carnegie graduate, she wanted to stand and recite it at dinner in the hotel, but I suggested she wait until breakfast to perform.

Across the street from the hotel was Bar a lunettes, an eyewear bar. At the time we were there, you sat at a counter, similar to one in a drinks bar, and the person behind the counter considered your face and brought frames to try on. Most of the frames were bold and from Europe. Tomie believed that eyeglasses were merely fashion accessories and he wanted to own as many as he could. He added to his collection of eyewear that day.

Our visits to Montreal, an easy drive from New London, were always so enjoyable. (Bob)

https://hotelstpaul.com/en/

https://en.baralunettes.com/