Ann Shengold

Ann Shengold, 62, died Nov. 26 at home in Mattituck with her mother Paula by her side, after a year-and-a-half struggle with lung cancer.

Her creativity was an inspiration to all who knew her, including friends, co-workers, family and strangers. She was director of the Smithtown Arts Council, where she worked for more than three years, and then assumed the position of director of the Knight Gallery of Spirit Square Arts Center in Charlotte, N.C.. When she left, she was missed by her colleagues, who spoke of the joy her innovative and artistic decisions brought to the Center. As an art administrator, she was known for bringing the best in national and international art to every venue she ever worked.

She spent a year of personal growth and retreat as the William Steeple Davis resident in Orient, continuing to develop the artistic gift with which she was born. In the 1990s, she further expanded her spirit and those of her acquaintances as she became a Reiki Master. She shared her expertise and love for art at the Parrish Museum in Southampton and then served as the Museum Director for the Montauk Lighthouse.

Throughout her illness, she was most comforted by her daily trips to New Suffolk Beach, where the consoling beauty of the surroundings fed her soul. She was a Muse to so many. Her spirit remains a shining inspiration.

This is a paid notice.