MARTHA JANE "HAPPY" YANCEY, 61, an accomplished costume designer, painter and art historian, died suddenly Friday in Dallas.
Born Martha Jane Yancey in 1945 to Sherod Foster and Mary Frances Cunningham Yancey, she grew up in University Park and attended the Hockaday School.
Even in infancy she was called Happy, and the name Happy Yancey was well known in the theater and arts communities from New York to California and Europe. She began painting at an early age and later became interested in costume design. She attended the Arkansas Arts Center School of Art and Drama in Little Rock, Ark., and the University of Texas. At UT she studied with Paul Reinhardt and Lucy Barton. She also studied archetypal psychology at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Her design credits number in the hundreds, including independent films, Arkansas Arts Center productions, and the Undermain Theater in Dallas. She also designed costumes for the SMU opera series and shows for production in New York City and Los Angeles. Many shows she not only designed but supervised construction of the costumes. Happy was an important part of the arts and theater community in Dallas and will be deeply missed.
As one of her friends said, Happy's passing will "leave a big hole" in that community.
Happy spent every summer of her life in Harpswell, Maine, where she is survived by family and many friends.
Above all else, Happy will be remembered for her warmth, generosity and sense of humor. She had many friends throughout the United States and maintained lively relationships with most of them.
She is survived by her daughter, Martha Devin O'Neal of Dallas; a granddaughter, Vanya; her mother, Mary Frances Yancey of University Park; her brother, David Cunningham Yancey of Dallas; cousins Sherod Yancey of Harpswell, Maine, and Stephen Yancey of Dallas. Her eldest brother, Sherod Foster Yancey Jr., predeceased her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Undermain Theater, 3200 Main Street, Dallas, 75226.
A memorial service will held Saturday but arrangements are incomplete. Final information for memorial services will be on the Undermain web site later this week, www.undermain .com.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), April 12, 2007
Born Martha Jane Yancey in 1945 to Sherod Foster and Mary Frances Cunningham Yancey, she grew up in University Park and attended the Hockaday School.
Even in infancy she was called Happy, and the name Happy Yancey was well known in the theater and arts communities from New York to California and Europe. She began painting at an early age and later became interested in costume design. She attended the Arkansas Arts Center School of Art and Drama in Little Rock, Ark., and the University of Texas. At UT she studied with Paul Reinhardt and Lucy Barton. She also studied archetypal psychology at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Her design credits number in the hundreds, including independent films, Arkansas Arts Center productions, and the Undermain Theater in Dallas. She also designed costumes for the SMU opera series and shows for production in New York City and Los Angeles. Many shows she not only designed but supervised construction of the costumes. Happy was an important part of the arts and theater community in Dallas and will be deeply missed.
As one of her friends said, Happy's passing will "leave a big hole" in that community.
Happy spent every summer of her life in Harpswell, Maine, where she is survived by family and many friends.
Above all else, Happy will be remembered for her warmth, generosity and sense of humor. She had many friends throughout the United States and maintained lively relationships with most of them.
She is survived by her daughter, Martha Devin O'Neal of Dallas; a granddaughter, Vanya; her mother, Mary Frances Yancey of University Park; her brother, David Cunningham Yancey of Dallas; cousins Sherod Yancey of Harpswell, Maine, and Stephen Yancey of Dallas. Her eldest brother, Sherod Foster Yancey Jr., predeceased her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Undermain Theater, 3200 Main Street, Dallas, 75226.
A memorial service will held Saturday but arrangements are incomplete. Final information for memorial services will be on the Undermain web site later this week, www.undermain .com.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), April 12, 2007
MARTHA JANE "HAPPY" YANCEY, 61, an accomplished costume designer, painter and art historian, died suddenly Friday in Dallas.
Born Martha Jane Yancey in 1945 to Sherod Foster and Mary Frances Cunningham Yancey, she grew up in University Park and attended the Hockaday School.
Even in infancy she was called Happy, and the name Happy Yancey was well known in the theater and arts communities from New York to California and Europe. She began painting at an early age and later became interested in costume design. She attended the Arkansas Arts Center School of Art and Drama in Little Rock, Ark., and the University of Texas. At UT she studied with Paul Reinhardt and Lucy Barton. She also studied archetypal psychology at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Her design credits number in the hundreds, including independent films, Arkansas Arts Center productions, and the Undermain Theater in Dallas. She also designed costumes for the SMU opera series and shows for production in New York City and Los Angeles. Many shows she not only designed but supervised construction of the costumes. Happy was an important part of the arts and theater community in Dallas and will be deeply missed.
As one of her friends said, Happy's passing will "leave a big hole" in that community.
Happy spent every summer of her life in Harpswell, Maine, where she is survived by family and many friends.
Above all else, Happy will be remembered for her warmth, generosity and sense of humor. She had many friends throughout the United States and maintained lively relationships with most of them.
She is survived by her daughter, Martha Devin O'Neal of Dallas; a granddaughter, Vanya; her mother, Mary Frances Yancey of University Park; her brother, David Cunningham Yancey of Dallas; cousins Sherod Yancey of Harpswell, Maine, and Stephen Yancey of Dallas. Her eldest brother, Sherod Foster Yancey Jr., predeceased her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Undermain Theater, 3200 Main Street, Dallas, 75226.
A memorial service will held Saturday but arrangements are incomplete. Final information for memorial services will be on the Undermain web site later this week, www.undermain .com.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), April 12, 2007
Born Martha Jane Yancey in 1945 to Sherod Foster and Mary Frances Cunningham Yancey, she grew up in University Park and attended the Hockaday School.
Even in infancy she was called Happy, and the name Happy Yancey was well known in the theater and arts communities from New York to California and Europe. She began painting at an early age and later became interested in costume design. She attended the Arkansas Arts Center School of Art and Drama in Little Rock, Ark., and the University of Texas. At UT she studied with Paul Reinhardt and Lucy Barton. She also studied archetypal psychology at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Her design credits number in the hundreds, including independent films, Arkansas Arts Center productions, and the Undermain Theater in Dallas. She also designed costumes for the SMU opera series and shows for production in New York City and Los Angeles. Many shows she not only designed but supervised construction of the costumes. Happy was an important part of the arts and theater community in Dallas and will be deeply missed.
As one of her friends said, Happy's passing will "leave a big hole" in that community.
Happy spent every summer of her life in Harpswell, Maine, where she is survived by family and many friends.
Above all else, Happy will be remembered for her warmth, generosity and sense of humor. She had many friends throughout the United States and maintained lively relationships with most of them.
She is survived by her daughter, Martha Devin O'Neal of Dallas; a granddaughter, Vanya; her mother, Mary Frances Yancey of University Park; her brother, David Cunningham Yancey of Dallas; cousins Sherod Yancey of Harpswell, Maine, and Stephen Yancey of Dallas. Her eldest brother, Sherod Foster Yancey Jr., predeceased her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Undermain Theater, 3200 Main Street, Dallas, 75226.
A memorial service will held Saturday but arrangements are incomplete. Final information for memorial services will be on the Undermain web site later this week, www.undermain .com.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), April 12, 2007
Gravesite Details
This may be a cenotaph as the marker has Randle Cemetery Harpswell, Maine on it. No cemetery by that name is found on the Findagrave site.
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