River Reflections
Sunset reflections on a low tide Saugatuck River. Photo by Nancy Lally for WestportLocal.com
Phyllis Makovsky, 80, Died; “had a rare combination of diverse and enviable qualities”
Phyllis Makovsky, 80, of Westport, Connecticut passed away on Thursday, February 16th, 2023 in her home, surrounded by her family. She passed after a courageous and inspiring fight against Leukemia (AML). Phyllis was a remarkable woman, a one-of-a-kind person that had a rare combination of diverse and enviable qualities. She will be deeply missed by so many that loved and cherished her.
Phyllis was born in Queens, New York to Grace and Murray Peck. Phyllis had a superlative academic background, graduating from Barnard with honors and receiving her Master’s Degree in teaching from Harvard University. She was a passionate teacher in the classroom as she taught advanced mathematics at The Brearley School in Manhattan and Great Neck South High School in Long Island before she decided to turn her skills and compassion on her family and in prominent roles in the community.
In 1972, Phyllis met Kenneth Makovsky; they married within months and went on to share a storybook partnership that spanned exactly 50 years. Phyllis was a fiercely dedicated wife and the two supported one another in every way and enabled each other’s successes in business at home and in their social and philanthropic lives. She served as a crucial strategic advisor to Ken as he built the Public Relations agency, Makovsky & Company.
Phyllis was a doer and her work came in many forms. She served Temple Israel and its congregation as a board member for 10 years. She established a scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis dedicated to music. After her second diagnosis with breast cancer, she decided to return to Norwalk Hospital as a volunteer in the chemo-infusion center, where she spent 20 years and in the very room where she returned for the final part of her Leukemia treatment. No surprise she was greeted with big hugs.
Phyllis was a wonderful mother to her two children Matthew and Evan and used her talents as a teacher and unique combination of grace, grit and empathy to invest into her family so that they could shine. As a friend and a sister she did the same. It didn't matter whether you were a 50 year long friend or someone on first meeting, Phyllis was present, kind and insightful and that love and good energy was returned to her by so many.
Phyllis is survived by her husband Kenneth, sons Matt and Evan and brother Stephen.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 21 at 1:00 pm at Temple Israel in Westport, CT. (14 Coleytown Rd). Burial will follow at Temple Israel Cemetery, 225 Richards Ave, Norwalk, CT. Shiva will be observed at the home of Kenneth & Phyllis Makovsky in Westport, CT on Tuesday 2/21 post service till 8:00 pm and Wednesday + Thursday from 1:00 pm till 7:00 pm.
To livestream the funeral service, please use the following link www.tiwestport.org/livestream go to the youtube page and it will be the first “live” video listing for the day. To share a condolence message, visit www.greensfuneralhome.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: www.lls.org/metny
New Exhibit By Artists Collective Of Westport Draws Large Crowd At Gordon Fine Arts Gallery
The Gordon Fine Arts Gallery at 1701 Post Road East, Westport, has partnered with the Artists Collective of Westport for a stunning new group show. Curated by James Brunelle, the exhibit includes over 100 works by 65 members of the Collective.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The new venue offered close to 200 art lovers an opportunity to view beautiful works of art by local artists in a spacious and inviting space which offered the many guests easy viewing even though the crowd was large.
The art includes drawings, paintings, photography, prints, mixed media and sculpture, in sizes ranging from a few inches wide up to 6ft wide. Gordon Fine Arts Gallery highlights nationally recognized award winning artists and aims to provide exhibit space to regional and national Artists.
The show runs to March 19.
Hours are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, noon to 5pm; Sunday noon to 4pm.
For information email: gordonfineartsales@gmail.com
Or visit gordonfinearts.org
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Scottish Folk Band Talisk Brings Packed MoCA House To Their Feet
MoCA Westport kicked off its 2023 Music at MoCA Series on Saturday night with a lively performance by Scottish folk band Talisk. Band Members Mohsen Amini (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year), Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year) fused concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce a ground-breaking, multi-layered signature that captivated the audience.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
More than 170 guests completely filled the gallery space and the appreciative crowd was charged by the band's high energy performance, giving them standing ovations and even dancing in the aisles.
The packed performance took place within the context of the Museum's current Paul Camacho: El Ritmo y La Unidad exhibition. Delicious drinks were served by The Cup Bearer and food was available from Marcia Selden Catering.
Next up in the Music at MoCA Series is the buzz-worthy jazz saxophonist Eddie Barbash on Friday, April 21 at 7 PM. A founding member of pianist Jon Batiste’s Stay Human, the house band for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Barbash has also performed with Lenny Kravitz, Wynton Marsalis and Yo-Yo Ma.
Tickets for all concerts are available on mocawestport.org
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.