My Dad Passed Away This Morning

 

With my dad in 1969

Ian Christopher Mayow Short passed away this morning at the age of 89.
He was born in Seaford, Sussex, England, in 1936 to Mayow Earl deCoucey Short and Margaret Helen (Campbell) Short.

Ian was a multimedia artist, printmaker, and educator known for his work in photography, printmaking, and for integrating art with education.  He was a co-founder of the Artists Image Resource (AIR) in Pittsburgh and taught for many years at Kent State University in Ohio and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where he was chairman of the Art Department from 1993-96.

Ian grew up in River Forest, Illinois. And was educated at Illinois Wesleyan University (1958).  He received his MFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1961. 

Ian leaves behind three daughters, Frances, Marion, and Helen, and five grandchildren.  All of us loved him like crazy. 

Here I am telling a funny story about my dad in 2008.  

   

After I posted this video, Dad (who was 72 at the time) left me a Skype voicemail and said it's not a laserjet, it's an inkjet printer, and I should be sure to plug some computer thingy called "Adobe Photoshop."  So I did.  :) 

My sisters and I agree that if there's a heaven, he's up there setting up his studio.  He's also lighting up a cigarette and drinking a Manhattan.  Probably playing darts and bragging about his grandkids.  He'll go say hi to mom after he's had a drink. 

 My family is tremendously grateful to Ian's hospice care workers, and also fuck cancer. 

PS You can see some of Dad's artwork here and here.