Cornelia “Corky” Hadsell Mott died on April 27. She was born April 23, 1916, in Columbus, Ohio, to Mina Bernard and Harry Hadsell. Her family moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio, where Corky grew up. She later majored in English and art at Connecticut College for Women. Post graduation, Corky worked as publicity director for the Cleveland Natural History Museum and in the Army Air Transport Command as a reporter during World War II. She continued her career as a writer and reporter by spending nine years at the Cleveland News, first at the city desk and then as society editor. She met her husband, Garret Mott, Jr, while skiing at Mont Tremblant, Quebec. They married in 1949 and moved to New Canaan, Conn., and later settled in Wilton, Conn. It was during this time that Corky had two sons, remodeled two barns into homes, taught at the Famous Writer’s School in Westport, Conn., and joined her friend Anabel Barrows to form an antiques business, Barrows and Mott. She co-founded a group that resuscitated a village center in Wilton known as Cannondale, restoring and remodeling the buildings to form a vibrant center while maintaining its architectural history. She also made time for skiing, sailing and especially tennis. Corky had an enterprising nature and her energy carried into her myriad of endeavors. She was a woman ahead of her time. In 1978 Corky, Garry, and their son Lawrence lived aboard their sailboat while they cruised the Intracoastal Waterway and explored the Bahamas. When they returned to land they chose the Woodstock, Vt., area and yet another restoration project in the form of an old farmhouse. Corky continued buying and selling primitives and folk art antiques until 1994 when she and Garry moved to Wake Robin in Shelburne. There, her keen eye and knowledge of antiques helped her contribute to the community’s decorating and tag sale committees. Corky was predeceased by her husband Garry in 2001. She is survived by her sons, Garret Mott III of Buel’s Gore, Vt., and his partner, Michele Lewis of Essex Junction, Vt., and Lawrence Harper Mott and his wife, Janii Peterson of Buel’s Gore, Vt. A circle of remembrance will be held at Wake Robin in Shelburne on May 15 at 2 pm.
09 May 2006 / 0 Comment
Antiques and The Arts Weekly is the nation’s leading weekly publication on the antiques and the arts trade, and is available both in print and online.
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