Archive for July, 2009

Obituary for Jean S. Livingston

Posted on: July 15th, 2009 by Geoff Livingston 4 Comments

Versions of this obituary will be published in Seattle, Pasadena and Northern California…

Jean Louise (Swarts) Livingston passed away Friday, July 10, 2009, at her home in Danville, Calif. following a long illness. She was 86 years old. The daughter of Charles E. and Louise (Friedman) Swarts, she was born January 23, 1923 in Chicago and was raised in Winnetka, IL. She attended New Trier Township High School, graduating in 1940, and also attended Carlton College in Minnesota.

She was a secretary for the Army Air Corps (later Air Force) during World War II and also worked for Walter E Heller Corporation and North Shore Congregation Israel.

She married Irvin (“Bud”) Livingston, Jr., July 19, 1947, and they had two sons, Thomas and John. The family moved from Chicago to Morton Grove, IL., Sylvania, Ohio and Arcadia, Calif. Jean became active in of the League of Women voters while in Ohio, and remained active in that organization as well as the rest of her community after moving to California.

She served as president of the Friends of the Arcadia Public Library, was a member of the Library Board, and was also active in the PTA and worked with her husband to establish the Arcadia Volunteer Service Organization, which put community resources into the schoolrooms. She was named Citizen of the Year in 1976. After the two children had grown up and left the household, the Livingstons moved north to Danville in 1980.

She loved playing piano and in her youth, sang swing jazz. Jean also loved playing bridge with her friends in Sylvania, Arcadia and Danville.

She was preceded in death by her mother in 1967; her father in 1973; and her husband in 1995. She is survived by her brother, Dr. Charles L. Swarts of Westminster, IL.; sons Tom Livingston of Jenkintown, PA (wife Maxine Waber), a children’s magazine editor and John Livingston of Mercer Island, WA (wife Andi Neuwirth), a desktop publishing specialist and former free lance writer and web uploader for Pacific Publishing; along with five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

A private service of remembrance was held Sunday, July 12 at the family home and an evening memorial service was planned Wednesday, July 15 at
Congregation Herzl ner Tamid on Mercer Island.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a foundation seeking to find a cure for childhood cancer.

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Goodbye, Grandma Jean

Posted on: July 12th, 2009 by Geoff Livingston 3 Comments

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This is an expanded version of a note I posted on Facebook.Thank you, everyone who commented on that.  As I noted in the original Facebook note comments section, this post was less of a dramatic moment, and more of a reflection as grandma was an important part of my life for these past 37 years.  I am reposting an expanded version here in honor of Jean Livingston, whose memorial service was today in California. My thoughts and prayers go to my father and uncle who are there now.

I lost my grandmother, Jean Livingston, late on Friday night. Jean Livingston turned 86 this past January 3. She was a very active member of her community in Pasadena, CA, and later again, but a little less so in the East Bay area of California. She was a world traveler, and later in life served her community as a travel agent. Her impact was significant, and she leaves behind two sons, five grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Due to a split family and being raised by my father, in many ways she became a surrogate role model during my tweens and teens. And most importantly as she would say since I was four and could not pronounce my words, she was my “fwend.”

We would play together, and later talk and discuss great things like art and novelists, or small insignificant things like that crazy guy Steve Jobs or the NY Times crossword. She was the person more than anyone who encouraged me to write, even when others in my family said I couldn’t do it. And you know what, Grandma, I did it. I did it twice; as a published author and as a successful blogger.

While I was in Bay Area for the NTEN conference in late April, and again in early June for the IABC awards, I did have the opportunity to see her. Her health deteriorated greatly during that time, and when I saw her a month ago she couldn’t speak for more than 1 or 2 minute intervals. In many ways I am glad for her passing because her pain was so substantial this year. She wanted to go.

Her death had been expected, so we were all prepared. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to thank her for being such a great role model during those formative years. It is a peaceful thing to know that nothing was left unsaid.

The best way for me to say goodbye is obvious and simple. One is to write this post.

The other is a little more personal. Our favorite book to read together when I was child was the classic Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  When I saw her last, I told her it was being made into a movie, and it brought a smile to her face. She wanted to see it though she knew it wasn’t going to happen.

So this October when Where the Wild Things Are is released, I will go alone and sit in the back row.  I am sure my fwend will join me in spirit. We’ll have a grand old time, and I will remember then, and always.

Thank you, Grandma. In loving memory,

Geoff

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Top Photographers on Twitter

Posted on: July 5th, 2009 by Geoff Livingston 18 Comments

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I am really enjoying working with the Nikon D90, and just purchased my third non-stock lens, a Sigma 10-20 mm wide angle. As I step up my photo game (follow me on Flickr or on Twitter), I decided to follow more photographers on Twitter, and put out a general crowdsourcing call for image masters.

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Here’s who was suggested (sans a few people who really don’t seem to be on Twitter), amateurs and pros alike in alphabetical order by Twitter handle. I also added @hyku and @noreaster, two amateur photographers I greatly admire.

  • Amy Venderford – @amiev – “roaming photographer”
  • Amy Montgomery – @amymontgomery – “Photographer. Designer. Mother. Dreamer. Lover of this life and the pictures that keep it fresh.”
  • Chase Jarvis – @chasejarvis – “Maniac Photography Director”
  • Chris Sembrot- @csembrot – “Advertising and editorial photographer from Philadelphia.”
  • Danny Garcia – @danmiami – “computer forensics lab supervisor;cell phone forensics trainer;amateur poker player and photographer; travel”
  • Eric Doggett – @ericdoggett – “Energized portraiture.”
  • Gloria Bell – @gloriabell – “People Connector, Social Media Enthusiast, Life Lover, Friend, Hugger, Organizer, Thoughts/Musings at http://asseenthroughmyeyes.wordpress”
  • Henie Resinger – @HennArtOnline – “Writer, Photographer, Artist, Passionista, Social Media Participant, Cerebral Provacateur”
  • Holly McCraig – @hollymccraig – “i’m a liberal, dog-loving professional wedding & portrait photog. yo.”,/li>
  • Josh Hallett – @hyku – “Director, Voce Connect – Doing the social media thing since 2003.”
  • HughE – @iPhillyChitChat – “Paralegal by Day, Paparazzi by Night”
  • itsDarkDaze – itsDarkDaze – “There is only you and your camera.”
  • Jenae – @jenaew – “friend. lover, mother, artist, new yorker, midwesterner”
  • Jennifer Jasso – @jenjasso – “L.A. based photographer”
  • Jeremy Cowart – @jeremycowart – Photographer to the Stars, the Suffering and Everyone in Between.
  • Jim MacMillan – @jimmacmillan – “Pulitzer-winning visual journalist, university educator and new media consultant based in Philadelphia.”
  • Justin A. Schuck – @justinschuck – “photographer, writer, designer, blogger, political consultant, SWM, yer mom”
  • Kristin Farwell – @kfarwell – “Marketing Program Manager at Bulldog Solutions / Photographer at Karmalized.com / Geek at Heart”
  • kgustafson – @kgustafson – “Photographer/blogger/professional commuter”
  • Kris Krug – @kk – “techartist, quasi-sage, cyberpunk anti-hero from the future”
  • Lyndon Wade – @lyndonwade – “Lyndon Wade photography”
  • Mickey Gomez – @mickeygomez – “Reader, writer, guitar player, fan of nonprofits, Whedon, social media and dogs. Believes everyone can make a difference!”
  • Mike Birce – @mikebrice – “Toledo Photographer.”
  • Milli G. Funk – @millifunk – “Exploring small town MO after life in NYC.”
  • Jen Consalvo – @noreaster – “all about the internet, building cool apps and leading great teams. photo buff. chronic case of wanderlust.”
  • Raquita - @raquita – “Photographer, Mom, you want to work with me now before the world finds out I’m awesome”
  • Scott Bourne – @scottbourne – “Host – Photofocus Podcast, Publisher Photofocus.com, President Bourne Media Group – photographer, author, teacher, speaker, new media pioneer”
  • Scott White – @SDWhite – “Christian, husband, dad, police officer, IT type, admin weenie, conservative, Patriot Guard Rider, wanna be social media guru, photographer”
  • Shaminder Dulai – @Shawagg – “Photojournalist, multimedia producer, trying to find the answers”
  • Shawn Duffy – @shawnduffy -”Freelance photographer and photojournalist”
  • Steph Brooks – @takinpitchas – “Old school news photog… turned Marketing Exec. Diving into SoMed Marketing and makin’ a splash! Faves include: Coffee, my LolaPup, learning something new.”
  • J. Pollack Photography – @stlphoto – “STL-based wedding, family, commercial, and editorial photographer”
  • Todd Adamson – @toddadamson – “gggggggggggggg”
  • Todd Jordan – @tojosan – “Live/Record/Share, Coder/Analyst/Soc Med Pusher/Photographer/Blogger”

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Pretty cool stuff. Now, I just need to put them in their own Tweetdeck group! Photo District News has also published this post featuring the five biggest photographers on the Internet (h/t @jimmacmillan).

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