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WESTPORT, Conn. – Naiad June Einsel, of Westport, died Sunday, April 3. She was 88.
She was born in Philadelphia on June 6, 1927. Her lifelong love of art began in her father’s grocery store, where she drew on the brown wrapping paper. After attending the High School of Music and Art in New York City, she graduated from Pratt Institute. She met her late husband, Walter, while they were both art directors – she at CBS, and Walter at NBC. They were married in 1953. They worked collaboratively in their Victorian farmhouse on book and magazine illustrations, posters, advertisements, package designs and collage boxes.
Her illustrations appeared in Redbook, Collier's, Look, Good Housekeeping, The Ladies' Home Journal, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine and Smithsonian Magazine, and in books from Doubleday, Macmillan, Random House, Harcourt Brace & Jovanovich, Clarkson Potter and Workman Press. She also designed record album covers, movie posters and TV commercials.
The Einsels were the first husband-and-wife team to create stamp designs for the U.S. Postal Service. They were inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2008. In 1996, they assisted with the design of the seven-sided barn that stands outside the Historical Society. In 2005, the Einsels received a Preservation Award for their home. In 2007, their home and property were designated a local historic district.
She loved to attend folk music concerts and enjoyed playing guitar and banjo.
She is survived by her daughters, Leslie (Philip) Chase of Westport, and Hilary (Mark) Newby, of Norwell, Mass.; sister, Jacqueline Thompson, of Leonia, N.J.; seven nieces and nephews; five grandchildren, Lisa Bastoni, Peter Newby, Willow Souther, Evan Newby and Emma Newby; and four great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her sister, Phyllis Lipman; and her parents, Esther and Samuel Giblan.
A celebration of her life will be held Sunday, June 5, at 2 p.m. at the Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, Westport.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Westport Historical Society.
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