(Please note: the most recent post is below.Scroll down for earlier posts in descending order. Thank you.)
A few months ago I heard by email from a former neighbor of my grandparents. He offered to send me a photo of a drawing done by Wylie in honor of his birthday. Here's Tom's message:
"My name is Tom Frenk and when I was young my grandparents were neighbors of Wylie and Mabel on Arden Ave. in Lakewood, Ohio. I had been to his house and he to my grandparents' house. He was a jovial man. I believe we all went to the same church. When I was five or six (in 1960) Wylie did a (I believe charcoal) drawing of a monkey resembling me. I was born with big stick-out ears. Had cosmetic surgery for that at age four. I've seen many of [Wylie's] artworks, mostly New England-style churches, which were a hobby interest of my Grandfather's."
Tom then told me that when he was able to locate the drawing, he would take a photo and send it to me. He followed through as promised, and here is the charcoal drawing:
Original birthday card drawn by Wylie W. Curry for Lakewood, OH neighbor Tom Frenk.
Coincidentally, my sister Kathleen and I used to call our grandfather "the monkey grandpa." This was a term of endearment because Wylie was unfailingly kindly and joking while also reminding us just a bit of a monkey in appearance! So when Tom wrote to me and I saw the illustration done by my "monkey grandpa," I was all the more touched. Thank you, Tom, for showing us the lighter side of Wylie Warren Curry.
