The Remembrance Meeting
A Remembrance Meeting for Kay, held at Cedar Ridge Gallery on February 2, 2008 was attended by about 130 ex-students, fellow teachers and artists, relatives and friends. Father Arnold Hancock conducted a brief service during which he summarized Kay's contributions to the community, to her family and the Church: while he was Rector of Christ Church Markham (1982-1994), she was a parishioner; she served as a volunteer. He told of her refurbishing wall scrolls of biblical verses and of her donation of paintings to sell at the annual Bazaars dedicated to help fund Church activities. Following Father Hancock's Eulogy, Kay's daughters Beatrice and Victoria provided personal tributes to their mother. Mr. Eric Hughes added to them reminding the listeners that teachers create their immortality since their lessons are passed on to succeeding generations. Father Hancock then delivered the Benediction. The visitors were provided with a slide-show created with some 800 photographs depicting Kay's life accompanied by a musical background of her favorite themes (See an abbreviated version elsewhere on this site). A selection of her paintings was placed on easels for all to view. Alan had opened the meeting with some preliminary remarks about Kay and made a plea for support (tax deductible) of the trust fund in Kay's memory that will be administered by Cedar Ridge Gallery with a selection committee that will include one family member. The proceeds will be used to provide an annual grant in perpetuity for promising Scarborough artists. Details concerning the nature of this fund will follow once they have been finalized.
Presentation by Daughter Beatrice
Kay Long's life was one full of accomplishments in a variety of roles. Most people knew her as a friend or teacher, a volunteer or relative, a mentor or colleague. However, only four of us were able to claim the unique privilege of knowing her as my siblings and I did. To us she was mum, and I'd like to add to your picture of Kay Long by telling you a few things you may not have known about my mother.
1. "Do It And It's Done."
This adage was often repeated to us as we procrastinated our way through childhood and adolescence, and it neatly sums up mum's attitude towards the more unpleasant tasks in life. Meet them head on, get them out of the way, and then go on to do those things which you most enjoy, which in her case usually involved painting in one way or another. For anyone who ever marveled at her indefatigable air and ability to achieve so much in a seemingly effortless way,just remember that she was probably repeating to herself "Do it and it's done".
2. My Mother Once Saved My Life
For me,there is one pivotal memory of this event.It's not the way she leapt into the water from her chair at poolside,dove down to the deep end where I'd sunk after slipping out of the inflated ring I'd been paddling about in, nor that she scooped me up, brought me to the pool deck and soundly thumped me on the back until all water was expelled. Many mothers would have done the same. The most amazing part of this story is that she did it all while keeping a cigarette firmly clamped between her lips. She had obviously not thought twice about what she had to do, her reaction being so immediate that she hadn't even taken the time to remove the cigarette. That was mum - there in a flash when needed.
3. Flight
Despite her many accomplishments, my mother did have a few unrealized aspirations in life. When a young woman, she had wanted to be a doctor. Another desire was to bema pilot, or to fly in some capacity, and it was this one which she continued to harbour well into later life. She cameclosest to realizing this dream when, by this time in her sixties, she went onholiday to Mexico with my Aunt Bea. After a week of sitting on the beachwatching boats tow parasailors around the bay, she decided on their last daythere to give it a try. She subsequentlyoften spoke of this experience with relish, recalling the exhilraration ofrising up and moving through the air, finally realizing her dream offlying. Now, the next part of thisaccount was told from my Aunt Bea's perspective, and one must keep in mind thatshe was the elder sister, and, as such, may have embellished the storysomewhat. As mum came in for herlanding, the group of young Mexican boys, small young Mexican boys, whose jobit was to catch the parasailors and guide them in to a safe landing, took onelook at my mother's then rather ample proportions descending towards them andscattered. Aunt Bea even reportedhearing cries of "la bomba" as they ran. True or not, mum landed solo, with no guidinghands, cracking her tailbone in the process.Needless to say, her plane trip home the next day was veryuncomfortable, as were the next few weeks.Nevertheless, she always glowed when she spoke of her one opportunity toreally fly.
There youhave a few essential moments of Kay Long's life from a daughter's perspective,moments which have stayed with me as both memories and influences.
Do it and it's done.
Jump in when needed.
Downplay the crash landings, and focus on the joy of the flight.
Presentation by Daughter Vicky Schei
It is wonderful to be in this setting today with family and friends to celebrate my Mum's life. I would like to thank all of you for braving it out after yesterday's heavy snowfall. A few people have understandably called their regrets in from Kingston and London, Ontario
I would like to read to you a newspaper clipping from June 2000.
"A massive moose invasion blocked the intersection of Cumberland and Bellair June 5, 2000 as herds of the majestic creatures descended upon Toronto to participate in an extraordinary outdoor art event!
Amid low flying choppers, wailing sirens, honking car horns, and bellowing moose calls, Mayor Mel Lastman arrived in Toronto's trendy Yorkville district by police escort in response to an emergency call from the Chief of Police.
"It's a Moose Jam!" exclaimed the Mayor as he looked down from his perch on a fire-truck that had arrived minutes prior to help deal with the confusion."
Well, Mayor Lastman later left the safety of the fire-truck and approached one of the honking cars. Leaning into the car, he asked one of several women inside, "And just why are you honking Madame?", to which my Mother replied, "I'm honking for Art, Mayor! Art matters!"
The Moose In The City event is but a glimpse of the spirit of my Mum, Kay Long, or Klong as her family affectionately called her at times. Mum was fun and generous with a passion for life and art. She loved to gather together family and friends with almost any excuse for a celebration. Her home was always open to visitors, from the neighbourhood friends and painting buddies to her growing grandchildren to a busload of visiting Girl Guides stopping by for a pancake breakfast Mum rustled up for them.
Kay took this generosity to her teaching, both professionally and in her private life. My Mum was a Super-Mum before it became fashionable: in the early sixties she was a transplanted Canadian raising her four children in the deep South with no extended family to help her, while working full time as Director of the Occupational Therapy Department of a Mental Hospital. In her spare time, amongst many other things, she headed up a Girl Scouts Troop and campaigned for John Kennedy, even though she could not vote. May I remind you, this is the deep South in the 1960's. One of my fun memories associated with the Kennedy/Goldwater Election is when we would go grocery shopping. Mum would let my brother Jim and I wander around the parking lot while she shopped and would turn a blind eye when we peeled "Goldwater will flush the White House John" bumper stickers off of cars.
Despite being, or maybe because, she was so busy, Mum still found time for Art: from painting and exhibiting in art shows to decorating props and acting in little theatre, from printing her own Christmas cards, designing T-shirts and rug hooking to decorating floats for parades in two countries. Mum would help decorate Mardi Gras floats in our small town of Covington, Louisiana in February and then, in July, after a four days' trek north in a station wagon, laden down with suitcases and her children (and sometimes their friends), she would decorate one of our cottage boats for a boat parade at the Jack Lake Regatta in northern Ontario. Another memory comes forth: Mum also made costumes for us to wear on these floats, hand sewn and put together. One year our cottage boat theme was The Zany Zulus: the boat was made to look like an African hut and, as Zulus, we were given grass skirts to wear. Well, they weren't actually made of grass: the skirts were made of poison sumac leaves and we all developed quite a rash afterwards.
Kay had a passion for life and art. I feel Mum saw the two as one, that art was a medium for the expression of the soul. She used art for expression of her soul, as you can all witness in her artwork around us today. But Mum was also able to assist others to do the same, to find a comfort level with art and make it part of their lives. With the mentally ill in Louisiana, family, friends, neighbours, high school and adult students, Mum shared this belief and passion through facilitating exposure to art and giving her positive critique. Dad has often said that he and Mum were both therapists, Mum doing proactive work.
When we moved back to Toronto in 1966, Mum met Barbara Jean Rogers. Together they, and many others, took an idea, the instruction and sharing of a love for arts and crafts, that has evolved over a period of nearly forty years into where we are today: this incredible facility, Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery. Mum was fortunate to have found two soul mates through art, neither of which is able to be with us today. It was very hard on Mum when Barb Jean passed away a few years ago, a loss she continued to mourn. Mum met her other soul sister, Alice Dellis over fifty years ago in Louisiana. Alice and her husband Nick visited this past Summer from their home in California: no matter where they lived, they made the trip to our cottage every Summer where Mum and Alice painted. Barbara Jean and Alice were two women who "got it", who understood just how much art mattered.
Treasured memories of my mum (Mary Cobham (Long)
Reading me bedtime stories
Telling me about her adventures of Thumbelina
Bowling at Cedarbrae with Lawrence and his mum
Ballet recitals
Art week at Elizabeth Simcoe
Painting pictures for our dormitory, on rainy days at
Poco Tiempo (cottage)
Learning how to sew Barbie clothes
Going to Apsley for banana splits and milkshakes
Driving to and from school, art lessons, ballet classes, piano and guitar lessons and my friends' houses
Parents Day at Camp Gay Venture and all the care packages and letters
Birthday parties with grape juice and ginger ale, lasagna and German chocolate cake with money inside
Art shows at Campbell's Farm and more recently at Cedar Ridge
Helping me decorate my homes
Always wanting to "have a game"
Never remembering the negative, always being positive
Mum, I love you always and forever,
Your baby,
Moe
Presentation by Eric Huges
My name is Eric Hughes.
Many years ago I was in Kay's painting class here at Cedar Ridge - and a fine teacher she was.
Someone once said " When an older person dies, a library closes " this is true.
But when a teacher dies, the classroom doesn't close - the lessons live on through her students and on through their students.
We'll always remember such things as the Colour Wheel or
"Remember: light against dark and dark against light."
Thanks Kay.
Attendees at the Remembrance on February 2nd at Cedar Ridge that signed the guest book:
Adeline Dehons -- "Kay was one great lady."
Peggy Ring
Joyce Coles
Madeline Crawford-Barry
K. Tomlinson
Grace MacPherson
Maryland Grabill
Mary Langhorn
Janice Cederberg -- "Wonderful teacher!"
Heather and David Elrick
Velda and Jim McIntyre
Christopher Kerr
Charlie, Stephanie, Rosemary and Madeline Harte -- "Auntie Kay was an amazing person!"
Lindy Stewart (Who came from Calgary).
Lisa Tiontas and Gary Reeves
Karen Wright -- "Thank you Kay."
Pat McNamara -- "Keep teaching up there Kay!"
Jacqueline Pagun Brunet -- "Thanks, Kay."
Hazel Forbes
Pete Quinn
Dorothy and Bill Krotzer -- "We miss you."
Haig and Anahis Tootikian and Family
Richard and Valerie Austin
Ross, Louisa and Hayley McCall
Janice and Dave Lindley
Mike Gray
Lynn Clare -- "A beautiful person!"
Nigel and Margaret Griffiths -- "Love forever."
Nancy and Doug Clarkson
Lynn and Mike Coates
Carol and Dale Schenk
Nicola Jennings and Mary Lou Jarvis
Julia Jennings
Florence (Tonie) McArdle
Margaret Nichols -- "Beautiful service for a beautiful person."
Ellen Dobbs -- "Kay, a dear lady and kind teacher."
Cecelia Borthwick
Phyllis Scott
Isabel St. Amour -- "'Well it's only paper!' -: a quote of Kay's."
Esme Spiad -- "Kay was a lovely lady."
Jeanette McClure -- (pottery).
Jennifer Rica
Rudolph Stussi -- "Kay was a mentor and a friend, charming, lively and open-minded. I will miss her."
Marsha and Jerry Berman
Pat Martingale
Margaret Milvir
Diane Gladwell -- "Blessed to know this lady through her wonderful daughter! (Vicki)"
Dave and BonnieTrumphour -- "We'll always cherish Mary and David's wedding invitation."
The Johnson Boys -- Rob, Jamie, Willie.
K. David Conrad
Ann Forbes
Quinn Family -- "Kay formed so many of our memories. She will live on in them."