Theron Caldwell Ris

Tennessee

Our farm is next to Theron's land in Tennessee. We visited each time she came to camp and paint. We solved many of the world's problems from our front porch or around her campfire :-) She will be greatly missed by Emily & I. Peace & Love to all of her family. Love, Val & Emily Whitcomb

We always, every year and every time she came home to Tenn. ,we took a hike through the place we called and still do, Theron's, the beauty and the smell of it is a comfort to my soul to this day, I am so grateful to her for this place of solitude I know I can go and remember that feeling of home. She taught me to just sit and enjoy the sounds and the light flickering through the leaves on the trees a much needed peaceful place in my world , I can't say enough about how she hlelped me also teach my children that same lesson which I know they greatly appreciate, we often walk there still and so grateful to be able to, love and light will always surround my thoughts of her, our Theron

Hans and Theron came to tenn with the plan to use blue line paint to keep hunters out we hiked the entire property marking a tree or fence post on regular intervals it was a beautiful sunny day and Theron looked quite please when the job was finished she knew it would keep the hunters out !!!!

It is with great sadness that I become aware of Theron's death. I met Theron at the University of Wisconsin Madison where both of us were working on our Master of Fine Arts. Later on I also met Hans, Annette and Sam. Theron was always so positive and lively. When I told her that I was moving to Knoxville Tennessee, she told me all the stories about her piece of land near Nashville, where she use to go camp and relax. She told me that I had to give Tennessee around 5 years and after that I would never leave. She was right, I stayed there for 21 years. We exchange artworks and I have two of her animal small paintings and also a lithograph. I remembered her iron series, she worked furiously on them. I saw Theron and Hans again when I visited their beautiful home with my husband and son in the early 90's. I have a picture of my husband, son and I that Theron took at her house. During these many years since I last saw her, I always remember her. As a matter of fact I was thinking of her this weekend. I didn't know that Hans also passed away. I am glad that she was able to preserve her land in Tennessee and that you her children and grandchildren can enjoy as much as she did. My condolence to all of you.

Ten years or so ago, the young couple who lived next door decided that they needed a larger home for their growing family. They had barely posted their "For Sale By Owner" sign when they were contacted by a prospective buyer. As their neighbors on the other side had two large dogs and my husband and I had one, the couple called both of us to ask that we keep our dogs inside during the showing. We agreed, although I was feeling a little guilty about it-- there were so many dogs on our block, I wasn't sure that it was fair to the prospective buyer to think he/she was moving into an oh-so-quiet neighborhood only to awaken to a chorus of barking when the moving van showed up. And then our new neighbor showed up with her three beloved canine companions--Nellie, Josie and Pip--a perfect fit for our neighborhood and someone who, for the rest of her life, was a funny, fun, thoughtful and caring friend and neighbor to us. Theron brightened our neighborhood in the same way that she brightened her new house, changing its color from a dull, boring gray to a vibrant colorful hue that was more suited to her artistic eye and lifestyle. There was nothing drab or boring about Theron. She added splashes of color to all our lives! She had so many passions in her life--her kids, her painting, her advocacy work in support of better treatment of all animals, be they dogs, pigs, research monkeys, elephants or goats, politics....and the list goes on. I miss Theron tremendously--this has been the first week in a long, long time that my husband and/or I have not received a call or short e-mail from Theron, usually ending "luv" or "til soon." I am so grateful to her kids as well. As Theron's health began to fail, they did everything within their power to make it possible for her to live out the time left to her the way she wished--as the fiercely independent, always-engaged in life mom they knew and loved. Well done, Ben, Erica, Alan, Brent, Megan and Sam. Your mom was tremendously proud of you all. Marge Stern