Betty Loehle

1923-2013

View photos.

Betty Loehle died on December 6 at age 90. She was born March 21, 1923, to Elizabeth and Harry Barnes in Montgomery, Alabama. She attended Auburn University for two years, beginning the first year that women were admitted as students. She then moved to Nashville and completed studies at the Harris School of Art, where she met Richard Loehle, her husband of 64 years. After their marriage they moved to Chicago and began careers as artists, Richard as an illustrator and Betty as a graphic designer and painter.

In 1967 they moved the family to Decatur, Georgia and Betty continued a prolific career as a talented painter. Many of her colorful landscapes, florals and abstracts were purchased for banks, offices and airports as well as private homes. She was a co-founder and part owner of Artists Associates gallery in Buckhead for 30 years. Betty was a member of the Georgia Watercolor Society, the Alabama Watercolor Society, and the National Watercolor Society, and she won numerous awards for her work.

Betty enjoyed water aerobics and swimming into her 80s, and was an avid bridge player until she was 89. She loved to read until she lost her sight to glaucoma and macular degeneration.

She is survived by her children Craig, Alan, Bruce and Lynn and six grandchildren, Sholeh, Gloria, Niki and Zack Loehle, and Evan and Ross Loehle-Conger. The family wishes to thank Montclair staff, Crossroads hospice staff and other caregivers for their kindness and professionalism.

Richard Loehle

Richard Loehle had a busy and successful career as an illustrator, fine artist and portrait artist. He received a scholarship to the High Museum School of Art in 1940 and went to night school at Georgia Tech before moving to Nashville to attend an excellent small private art school. He met his wife, Betty, also an artist, at the school. They were married in 1947 and moved to Chicago to pursue their art careers.

The first few years in Chicago Richard had covers on sports magazines and Amazing Stories, and his cartoons and figurative line drawings were in the first issue of Playboy and subsequent issues for many years. Book illustration became his main focus, and he produced work for many major publishers in the United States. Reader's Digest became a client, and through that contact he met a writer with whom he collaborated to produce a book of his own about the home-made toys of the Depression.

Along with illustration Richard stayed busy with fine art, and his realistic paintings were well received, with numerous awards in national competitions and inclusion in museum and private collections.

In addition to his talents as an artist, Richard was always been interested in writing, and he wrote short stories, an autobiography and a science fiction novel.

Richard was an avid tennis player, and played competitively into his 80s. As late as 1984 he was ranked number one in Georgia in his age group.

For more information please contact Craig Loehl @aol.com.

1949	1984	1955

The Great American Depression Book of Fun, published by Harper Colophon Books, is available online through Amazon and Alibri.