Mildred “MiMi” C. Lyon
On May 6th, 2010, at 92 years, Mimi passed away peacefully after a long illness.
Mimi’s life was long, blessed and mostly happy. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. on September 22, 1917 to Dr. W. J. Connelly and his wife “Betty”. Mimi was an alumna of Fairmont College in Washington, D.C., and Beaver College in Philadelphia, Pa. On October 4th, 1942 Mimi wed her beloved “Win”, Winfield H. Lyon Jr., Ensign of the U.S. Navy. They had a long happy life together, 58 years, living in many exotic places in the world and together they had four children. The eldest a daughter, sadly, passed away in infancy, and her youngest “Bruce” passed away in 2007. Mimi is survived by her daughter Lalita L. Cofer of Cape Coral Fl., and her son Jonathan David Lyon of France. Mimi was fortunate to have four grandchildren, Christopher, Clay, Georgina, Sara and one great-grandchild, Isabelle.
Mimi was a gifted artist, and painted landscapes of places she and her husband lived around the world, including China, India, Lebanon, France, Italy and Miami, Fl. She painted in watercolor and pastel, and her paintings grace the walls of clients, friends and family to this day. Mimi studied art, drawing and painting with famous artist/teachers Robert Gwathmey, Doug Kingman, Stephan Lokos, Spencer Spruance, Jamini Roy II, and Jaques Yssel-Muiden. Her paintings were exhibited in the U.S. at the Galerie Fontainbleau, in Miami Beach, and at the Harbor House Gallery, in Bal Harbor. In Lebanon her paintings were shown at the Galerie Fahkriddine in Beirut, La Chaumiere in Broumana and L’Isbah, in the Cedres de Liban. Mimi’s works were also on exhibit in France and Italy, at the L’Hermitage, in Villefranche, and Antica, in Bellamonte, and also in Bombay, India at the Brambles.
Mimi was a talented Interior Designer with her own company, Distinctive Interiors, Inc. Her style mixed the antique and classical with the contemporary in subtle and richly textured rooms.
Mimi loved travelling in exotic locations and socializing with the local people, she loved parties and dressing up, and she was in her day a “hostess with the mostess”!
We shall miss her, but we know she is with her beloved Win, daughter Mimi Ahnela “Chinna”, and son Bruce.