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08-25-2011, 11:08 AM
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#1
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SOG & FORUM OWNER
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posts: 2,129
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Gordon Wetmore passes away
I received the very sad news that Gordon Wetmore, founder and chair of the Portrait Society of America, is gravely ill in intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt in TN.
He has been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease. (CJD). This disease rapidly deteriorates the brain making the person unable to function within a short period of time.
He has a Facebook page if you would like the leave a message for the family.
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08-25-2011, 04:31 PM
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#2
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SOG & FORUM OWNER
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posts: 2,129
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Sadly, Gordon passed away last night.
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08-26-2011, 10:34 AM
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#3
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SOG & FORUM OWNER
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posts: 2,129
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Gordon's obituary posted on Chattanooga.com:
Acclaimed Artist Gordon Wetmore Dies
posted August 26, 2011
Internationally acclaimed portrait artist Gordon Wetmore of Signal Mountain has died.
His subjects have included President Richard Nixon, Princess Grace, Jack Nicklaus and Norman Vincent Peale as well as prominent Chattanoogans such as J. Park McCallie, Senator and U.S. Secretary Bill Brock and SunTrust Chairman Scott L. Probasco, Jr.
Mr. Wetmore was the founding chairman of the Portrait Society of America, the largest of its kind in the world, and had served as chairman since its founding in 1998. Its board of advisors include world-renowned portrait artists Raymond Kinstler, Daniel Greene and Burton Silverman. Winners of the Portrait Society's Gold Medal for lifetime achievement include Jamie Wyeth, William Draper and Nelson Shanks.
Mr. Wetmore traveled to Ireland and to Israel for long stays to paint hundreds of scenes in those iconic places. His work was featured in Ireland published by Thomas Nelson with a foreword by Princess Grace and in Promised Land published by Galahad Books with a foreword by Leon Uris.
He is survived by his wife, Connie, and three daughters, Amy, Alexandra and Abigail.
Funeral arrangements are by Chattanooga Funeral Home, East Chapel.
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08-30-2011, 12:55 PM
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#4
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Juried Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Perris, CA
Posts: 498
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Very sad, indeed. He gave so much of himself for those of us who, each year, enjoy the Portrait Conferences. He will be sorely missed.
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08-31-2011, 01:17 AM
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#5
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SOG Member
FT Professional
Joined: Jul 2001
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 587
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I just heard from an artist, and I can spell his name right. I posted on a medical section of a website, mentioned this...
I copied this by a website:
"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of portrait painter, Gordon Wetmore. Having only recently been diagnosed with the rare neurodegenerative disorder, Prion Disease, Wetmore quickly succumbed to its devastating effects, and died the evening of August 25, 2011. He was 73".
I met and chattered with him in 1998 in Charlotte, where I saw some of his nice works. I said that we are in common of that our last names started with the letter w, he joked that it only put me in the rear of the name list. My friend said that his work load in PSA is almost like a full time job.
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10-17-2011, 01:31 AM
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#6
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Juried Member
Finalist, Int'l Salon 2006
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Singapore
Posts: 324
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Life really is so unpredictable.
I can still remember meeting him at the last Conference, and talking to him for a while. He looked fine, albeit tired probably from the running around getting things done for the Conference.
Thanks for sharing this news, though I'm sorry I didn't know about this earlier.
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