Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934, to Florence (Downey) and Joseph dePaola, in Meriden, Connecticut. He died on March 30, 2020, at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, from complications of surgery after a fall in his home in New London, NH.
He attended Meriden, Connecticut, public schools, and received advanced degrees from Pratt Institute, California College of Arts and Crafts, and Lone Mountain College. He taught at various institutions over the years, including Newton College of the Sacred Heart, San Francisco College for Women (Lone Mountain College), Chamberlayne Junior College, Colby-Sawyer College, and New England College.
He entered Weston Priory in Weston, Vermont, in 1956, and although he left after six months, he maintained a lifelong association with this monastery.
He married Monique Cheret, of Paris, in 1959, in Chester, Vermont. They divorced in 1961.
He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Joseph. He is survived by sisters Judith Bobbi and Maureen Rogers, and by family and friends, and millions of admirers of his work.
Tomie announced at age four that when he grew up, he would write and draw stories for children, and sing and tap dance on the stage. As an adult, he proudly declared that he had done all of those things, and even gotten paid for the latter.
In his 20s, he was active creating liturgical art for churches and monasteries in New England, and artwork for galleries.
But, he is best known for his books for children: over 270 written and/or illustrated, twenty-five million, or so, sold, and numerous awards and recognitions. He was particularly delighted when the American Library Association honored him with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now known as the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) for his lasting and substantial contribution to children’s literature.
His passing has been devastating for many. “Our collective hearts are broken.”
Tomie was a very social person. Although he was not infected with Covid-19 (he had been tested in the hospital, and his results were negative), he couldn’t have visitors in the hospital. So, it was particularly sad that because of the virus, he died alone.
If you’re motivated to make a donation in his honor, consider giving a book to someone, or a school, or a library.