I just found out tonight that someone who has had a profound impact on my life has passed away. I am so sad. I never knew I had an interest in art history until as an art major I was required to take a couple art history courses. Enter Nancy Weston Levy, or as we were all to call her, Dr. Weston (this was before she got remarried, and took on the last name Levy). I eagerly signed up for many art history courses (after taking a required course I discovered that art history and Dr. Weston were both amazing, and together were even better) and looked forward to every class even though the tests and papers could be murder. Tests in Dr. Weston's classes consisted of complete memorization...of several chapters in a text book...which could amount to memorizing 60+ art works, the title of each art work, the artists of each artwork, the date, the style (cubism, impressionism, etc...), and a paragraphs worth of why this piece of art fit into the style category it was placed in, as well as miscellaneous other information about the work and its artist. I can't tell you how many nights I spent in the basement of the library on campus furiously studying for one of Dr.Weston's tests...sometimes 8+ hours, staying as late as the library was open.
My very last semester before I graduated I took a class with Dr. Weston called The Holocaust and Art. This class definitely changed my life, I never have viewed life the same since. I learned how precious every life is, and what a miracle it is that we get to live each day God gives us. And now I have this complete miracle of life, our baby girl, Tatiana, and I am so lucky and blessed.
Tonight I am sad, and totally kicking myself. For years now I have thought "I should write Dr. Weston a letter and tell her what a great impact she had on my life and just update her on what I am up to now." Now that opportunity is no longer available to me and I am angry at myself. I have learned another life lesson... if you want to tell someone something, do it now, because you never know when it may be entirely too late. Dr. Weston also taught me (and many other students) other important things...how to be professional, courteous, timely, and a good respectable human being. Nancy Weston Levy, you will be VERY missed, but NEVER forgotten. I will always remember you very fondly...for I can not look at an art book, a painting at a museum, or pictures of ancient Rome without thinking of you. Dr. Weston, I hope you are having a fabulous time on the other side and enjoying a diet coke just like you did at every single class of yours I attended.
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