Elizabeth G. Resnik, 81
STOCKBRIDGE â€' Elizabeth "Liz" Gellhorn Resnik, 81, of Sergeant Street died Saturday, July 26, 2008, at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, following a stroke.
Born in Pasadena, Calif., on Feb. 22, 1927, daughter of Edward T. Van Deusen and Eleanor Cowles Van Deusen Gellhorn, she moved often with her mother and father, George Gellhorn Jr., after they married in 1935, residing in Longmeadow, New York City, St. Louis, South Orange, N.J., and Bahia, Brazil. She graduated from Friends Seminary in New York and attended Black Mountain College in Asheville, N.C. She later resided in Mexico, Taos, N.M., and New York before moving to Stockbridge in 1957.
Mrs. Resnik was a longtime member of the Stockbridge Library staff and for many years read stories to the youngest library visitors as well as inventing story-related craft projects for the children and creating posters for library events.
A voracious reader with an avid interest in current events and the arts, she was also known for her drawings and sketches, which were said to capture the individuality of the people and animals portrayed with just a few strokes.
For decades, she was part of a women's group that met each week in the home of one of its members. The group discussed politics, art, psychology, literature â€' any topic they found of interest. Over the years, group members varied because of moving or personal circumstances, but many remained close friends. During her time at Black Mountain, she made many lifelong friends in its innovative community of artists and thinkers.
Although not formally religious, Mrs. Resnik was a spiritual questioner with a great interest in personal integrity and human ethics, said her family, and participated in a weekly book discussion group at First Congregational Church.
She and her husband, David Resnik, whom she met at Black Mountain College, were married Nov. 22, 1947.
Besides her husband, she leaves two daughters Anna "Copper" Resnik of Sebastopol, Calif., and Kim Resnik and her husband, Jeffrey Gerth, of Atlanta; a granddaughter, Sarah Bender-Resnik, also of Sebastopol, and an extended family of Gellhorns, Hales, Westervelts, Resniks, Shears and Van Deusens across the country.
She was predeceased by her daughter Katharine Resnik in 1978 and by her son Christopher Resnik in 1988.
FUNERAL NOTICE â€' The family plans a memorial service in Stockbridge in the fall. The specific date and place will be announced later.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to celebrate Mrs. Resnik's life are invited to make contributions to the Stockbridge Library Association or to Hospice of the Berkshires through Finnerty and Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230, which is handling arrangements. Remembrances, memories and reflections may be sent directly to the family or through www.finnertyandstevens.com.
"We live in the commonality of each day; Each minute a reality, a wave of continuity; The past a core of the introspective present; We are a reflection of our love and attachment." â€' D.R., 2008