CALAIS and LANCASTER, N.H. – Mary Kipp Seeger-Livingstone died Sept. 20, 2006, at her home on the St. Croix River, after a two-year struggle with brochiecstasis disease. Born Nov. 29, 1921, in Algiers, Algeria, Mary was the daughter of Fredrick and Dorothy (Kauffman) Seeger of Lincoln, Mass. Her father worked for a time in Algeria and the family later moved to Lincoln, Mass. Mary’s only sibling, her brother, Edwin “Ned,” was killed in World War II. Mary attended Chapel Hill School for Girls and later the Massachusetts School of Art. During World War II, she worked for Raytheon and Harvard Radio Research as a graphic artist assisting with radar development. She met Charles “Brand” Livingstone and they married in 1943. Moving to Lancaster, N.H., Mary continued her art education, while raising three children, Eric Seeger, Alan Brandegee and Christina, now Clark. She painted many beautiful scenes of fall colors and sugarhouses in New Hampshire’s North Country. When her husband retired from business, she moved to Calais to live in a family 1820s home, where spectacular local scenery inspired her to paint steadily. Among her many contributions to local communities, she was a founding member of the Eastport Art Gallery; was an active and talented gardener, both at her home and in the St. Croix Valley Garden Club; was a fundraiser for local Hospice; and helped her husband revitalize the St. Croix Historical Society. Known for her breadth of knowledge of the natural world, she was able to express her love of the woods and waters through her painting. A prolific letter writer, she was also a skilled cook and crossword solver. Two weeks before her death, a special gallery show of her watercolor artwork was held by members of the Eastport Art Gallery. This final tribute meant very much to her. A Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held 2-4 p.m. Oct. 7, at the Stone House, 694 River Road, Calais. A memorial service will be held next summer, with a date to be announced, at Red Beach Cemetery and the Stone House. Arrangements by Mays Funeral Home, Calais. Friends may pay tribute at www.maysfuneralhome.com
MARY KIPP SEEGER-LIVINGSTONE
