I first remember Leslie in third grade at Brooks. Even as a young child, she was an incredibly talented artist. She died unexpectedly the summer before our junior year.
I remember what a terrific artist she was-I used to go over to her house and just watch her draw...amazed at her talent. But, I was under the impression she died while we were at Kiser-summer before or after 8th grade. I do remember going to her funeral...I had never been to a Catholic funeral and it was pretty unusual, with all of the chanting, incense, etc. It was a very sad day. Marty Barber
Hi, Marty,
I checked the yearbooks... The photo shown above is her 10th grade photo. I do remember that Cynthia Wharton started a scholarship in her honor. Does anyone know if Cynthia is coming to the reunion?
Leslie and I were close. She and Charles Snipes and I were in Mrs. Jameson's art class in the 90th grade, the first time we were able to take art every day. After a while Mrs. Jameson put the three of us togehter at one table where she doted on us, the best in the class. Leslie was always on at me, telling me that I was amazing, and given that I became a photographer, and a rather puritanical and driven one at that, she was a major player in my life. She would call me in the evening, which was not done at this time, a young women calling a boy and not the other way around. In that 9th grade year Mrs. Jameson (wife of the high school coach) had taken the best of our work, matted it and sent it to the yearly Scholastic Art Competition. That semestere some other student not in the class had received and expensive set of oil paints during the "holiday season." and she had been given a place in the art room to work. She made a real mess with those oil paints, but the teacher took a dirty rag out of the trash, matted it, and sent it in along with the rest of our art work. Naturally it won the city art award for the year. I saw immediately what American art was all about and never took another course in art in high school, much to Leslie's dismay. She kept on at me not to abando that at which I was so gifted.
Then one afternoon when I came home I saw the reckage of her car wrapped around a telephone pole just up the street from my house on Seminole Drive. She frequently came by my house and honked when driving home from the high school. This day she had a brain anurism that burst, making her black out while driving. She died that night, and I was a pall bearer at her funeral. In time I did devote myself full time to my art. I became a photographer focused on the people of Central Asia, those innocent people whom I knew Amerians would cynically make into an enemy. I am certain that she would have been most pleased and amused at what I went on to do with my life, for she certainly had a lot to do with its trajectory.
I remember Leslie Garrett fondly. Such a talented artist and so friendly. I was in art class with her; Mrs. Jameson was the teacher. Such a tragedy that she died young. I never forgot her and thought of her often.
Judy Lavine (Smith)
I first remember Leslie in third grade at Brooks. Even as a young child, she was an incredibly talented artist. She died unexpectedly the summer before our junior year.
Carol Bowen (Hambrecht)
I'm so glad I was able to to know her. She was a wonderful friend.
Marty Barber
I remember what a terrific artist she was-I used to go over to her house and just watch her draw...amazed at her talent. But, I was under the impression she died while we were at Kiser-summer before or after 8th grade. I do remember going to her funeral...I had never been to a Catholic funeral and it was pretty unusual, with all of the chanting, incense, etc. It was a very sad day. Marty Barber
Judy Lavine (Smith)
Hi, Marty,
I checked the yearbooks... The photo shown above is her 10th grade photo. I do remember that Cynthia Wharton started a scholarship in her honor. Does anyone know if Cynthia is coming to the reunion?
Judy Lavine (Smith)
Carol, I agree with you. She was a wonderful friend. I was very fond of her.
Charles Luke Powell
Leslie and I were close. She and Charles Snipes and I were in Mrs. Jameson's art class in the 90th grade, the first time we were able to take art every day. After a while Mrs. Jameson put the three of us togehter at one table where she doted on us, the best in the class. Leslie was always on at me, telling me that I was amazing, and given that I became a photographer, and a rather puritanical and driven one at that, she was a major player in my life. She would call me in the evening, which was not done at this time, a young women calling a boy and not the other way around. In that 9th grade year Mrs. Jameson (wife of the high school coach) had taken the best of our work, matted it and sent it to the yearly Scholastic Art Competition. That semestere some other student not in the class had received and expensive set of oil paints during the "holiday season." and she had been given a place in the art room to work. She made a real mess with those oil paints, but the teacher took a dirty rag out of the trash, matted it, and sent it in along with the rest of our art work. Naturally it won the city art award for the year. I saw immediately what American art was all about and never took another course in art in high school, much to Leslie's dismay. She kept on at me not to abando that at which I was so gifted.
Then one afternoon when I came home I saw the reckage of her car wrapped around a telephone pole just up the street from my house on Seminole Drive. She frequently came by my house and honked when driving home from the high school. This day she had a brain anurism that burst, making her black out while driving. She died that night, and I was a pall bearer at her funeral. In time I did devote myself full time to my art. I became a photographer focused on the people of Central Asia, those innocent people whom I knew Amerians would cynically make into an enemy. I am certain that she would have been most pleased and amused at what I went on to do with my life, for she certainly had a lot to do with its trajectory.
Anne Whytsell (Johnson)
I remember Leslie Garrett fondly. Such a talented artist and so friendly. I was in art class with her; Mrs. Jameson was the teacher. Such a tragedy that she died young. I never forgot her and thought of her often.