Ellen Lewis Parisot
Ellen Lewis Parisot, passed away peacefully at her home in Wilton, Connecticut on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014 with the loving support of her family and friends. The late afternoon was as beautiful as Connecticut early fall is this time of year and the end of day sunlight poured through her bedroom windows filtered by the tall pine trees she had planted there some 60 years ago. She was 86.
Ellen was a resident of Wilton, CT for over 60 years. She was born on September 28, 1927 in New York, NY and was the daughter of Robert James Lewis, managing partner of Estabrook and Company and a governor of the NY stock exchange, and Ellen Evans Lewis the granddaughter of rolling printing press inventor and manufacturer Robert Hoe III.
Ellen was a graduate of The Chapin School in New York, NY and then attended the École des Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau in Paris, France to study art in 1948. She then attended Yale University Art School in the early 1950’s as one of the first female students at the time to study classical painting. It was at Yale that she met and then married internationally renowned cellist and now Yale Professor Aldo Parisot with whom she has three sons; Film Director, Dean (Aldo) Parisot of Los Angeles CA., Architect, Robert Parisot of Redding, CT, and Sculptor, Ricardo Parisot of Wilton, CT.
Ellen also attended Southern Connecticut State University in the 1970’s where she obtained her Master’s Degree in Education and Art. She was an art teacher in Ridgefield Public Schools for many years. Following her retirement, Ellen worked in art conservation of antique and rare paintings also with her long-time friend and director of art conservation at the Yale Art Gallery, Andrew Petryn. They were dedicated to the advocacy of conservation as opposed to restoration of works of art.
Ellen was an avid painter, feminist, and patron of the arts. She enjoyed a life of music, art, literature, nature and family and spent many summers at the family home in the Adirondack Mountains. She was proud to have hiked nine miles in the Canadian Rockies one month before she passed on.
Ellen was predeceased by her beloved grandson Nicholas Parisot, in 2008 and her daughter-in-law Film Editor Sally Menke, in 2010. Ellen is survived by her three sons and her daughter-in-laws Joleigh Parisot, and Katherine Throckmorton, along with six grandchildren; Michelle Parisot, Isabella Parisot, Daniella Parisot, Lucas Parisot, Aldo Parisot, and Lance Parisot.
A memorial service celebrating the life of Ellen Lewis Parisot will be held at her home on Saturday, September 20th, 2014 at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation be made in Ellen’s honor by selecting from the MercyCorps Gifts at: gifts.mercycorps.org/category/all.