Jeff went off to Brown, simultaneously enrolling in art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design. Even for an artist with Jeff's talent, this was too much. He lasted only one semester before deciding he needed to make a clean break with his New Canaan life. Without telling his family of his plans, he flew to Paris iat Christmastime 1968, staying for 6 months, and enjoying the art scene. On his return, he settled in New York City, found work in theater design, and came out as gay. Making a living in theater design was always dicey, but he enjoyed the theater scene. In the late 1970s, he was diagnosed with a rare form of nerve cancer. The doctors took some time to make a diagnosis, and then could not offer effective treatment. He died in New York around 1980.
Jeff designed the sets for our junior and senior plays ("Skin of our Teeth" and "Tovarich"). His "Tovarich" design was innovative and brilliant--walk-through walls, powerful graphic elements--things you didn't expect from a high-school student in 1967. Jeff also desiged the advertising for our proms, including his wonderful "Casino Royale" poster. He spent a lot of time at our house on South Avenue, and was one of my mother's favorite people. I still have an elaborate pen-and-ink-plus-watercolor drawing in baroque style he did to thank her for giving him a book [!]. And I still regret not putting aside other things to spend more with him when he was ill with cancer. I didn't realize his time was so short.
Ray Squiteri (-)
Jeff went off to Brown, simultaneously enrolling in art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design. Even for an artist with Jeff's talent, this was too much. He lasted only one semester before deciding he needed to make a clean break with his New Canaan life. Without telling his family of his plans, he flew to Paris iat Christmastime 1968, staying for 6 months, and enjoying the art scene. On his return, he settled in New York City, found work in theater design, and came out as gay. Making a living in theater design was always dicey, but he enjoyed the theater scene. In the late 1970s, he was diagnosed with a rare form of nerve cancer. The doctors took some time to make a diagnosis, and then could not offer effective treatment. He died in New York around 1980.
Ray Squiteri (-)
Jeff designed the sets for our junior and senior plays ("Skin of our Teeth" and "Tovarich"). His "Tovarich" design was innovative and brilliant--walk-through walls, powerful graphic elements--things you didn't expect from a high-school student in 1967. Jeff also desiged the advertising for our proms, including his wonderful "Casino Royale" poster. He spent a lot of time at our house on South Avenue, and was one of my mother's favorite people. I still have an elaborate pen-and-ink-plus-watercolor drawing in baroque style he did to thank her for giving him a book [!]. And I still regret not putting aside other things to spend more with him when he was ill with cancer. I didn't realize his time was so short.