My Mother, Lois Ehrin was a lovely lady, a brilliant teacher, an accomplished, talented artist, a loving and supportive wife, an encouraging and nurturing, creative Mother, and tremendous friend.
She thrived on the beauty of nature through travels locally, nationally and internationally with my Father, with me, and with her friends. On Sabbatical from The Abington School District,when she was about 60, she and a friend drove from the coast of Spain to the coast of Italy through the South of France, painting landscapes in a citroen.
She strove to depict the splendors of nature in her artwork. She was happiest painting waterfalls in north america, mountains in the American West, beaches in Bermuda, Jamaica, Hawaii and New Jersey, Castles in Scotland, Churches in Great Britain, Lavender Fields in Provence; all of these subjects fascinated her as subjects that portrayed the glory of God.
Her tour de force work, however, were her illustrations of the Seasons, which she and I turned into a book, to teach children the alphabet, through the Seasons.
Her imagination and creativity in our book, entitled, Just About A Year: All About Seasons was unsurpassed.
People of all ages loved and respected Lois' warm, supportive personality. My friends all loved her as a surrogate Mother and she adored being included in activities with younger people, especially as she aged. She loved the rituals and celebrations of life. Together, we enjoyed giving tea parties and continued this tradition with a close circle of women friends right up until she died.
Her family called her "DeeDee" and friends called her "Lolo". I called her Mom.
She was my Mother, my friend, my creative collaborator, my companion in travel and adventure, my harshest art critic, my gardening pal, and many other roles too numerous to mention. She loved new experiences,and the excitement of visiting new lands, even if that meant just taking a new, previously unexplored country road.
Throughout her life, she gave of her time, talents, energy and spirit, to those around her, unflinchingly and generously.She was a superlative community servant, and volunteer.
Throughout her life, as the Daughter of a trained Architect,she adored interior design,and architectural renovation. She enjoyed decorating and making a beautiful home. Late in life, she was fascinated watching HGTV and DIY TV shows, and became enamoured of Tree Houses, which designed in her spare time, when not drawing and creating fairy houses for children.
Mom was a gracious, wonderfully loving parent. She has been gone now just about three weeks. Sometimes the loss of her physical presence seems unbearable, but her spirit, love and creative contributions remain within my soul, and all around our home and community, at The Abington Presbyterian Church in the design of the history of the Church wall tapestry, and at The Abington Public Library.
Daisies are blooming now outside our home, which were one of her many favorite flowers.
Seeing them waiving in the breeze make me think of her and smile, hoping that her spirit is smiling too and is at peace.
Leslie Ehrin
1500 Old York Road, Abington, PA
