Florine Carpenter

Florine Carpenter died peacefully on March 15, 2017 in Corte Madera, CA. She was born in San Francisco on June 5, 1923 to Jeanette and Joseph Levenson, who had emigrated from Brazil and Odessa, respectively. They had one other child: Martha, Florine’s older sister. At a young age, Florine displayed extraordinary artistic talent. She attended George Washington High School and the San Francisco School of Fine Arts (now Art Institute). In 1945 she met a handsome and bright young Marine, William Elwood Carpenter, and they married in 3 months. While raising 4 children, Florine and Bill were deeply involved in local politics, including participation with the Democratic party (Bill was president of the San Francisco Young Democrats), the teachers union, and social justice issues. They often brought their children to participate on picket lines and in anti-war, women’s, and union marches. In the 1960’s-1980’s, they opened their home to many young adult nieces that needed a loving and solid home environment, as well as several girls from El Salvador. With just 2 years of art school, Florine was hired by Bechtel Corporation and trained as a draftswoman. Her 20-year career at Bechtel included pipe system design for oil refineries and the cooling systems for nuclear power plants; she retired at the level of team leader. Florine was always creating artwork while working full time and raising her children with Bill, but it wasn’t until she retired from Bechtel that she pursued her passion fulltime.

Florine enthusiastically explored a variety of artistic media, from painting to ceramic sculpture. Her favorite medium was printmaking. Her most celebrated work is a series of hand-colored prints based on the life of Frida Kahlo. For many years, she took classes at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture and participated in SF Open Studios. She was a member of the San Francisco Women Artists (SFWA) and Marin Society of Artists (MSA). Florine successfully submitted her artwork to juried exhibitions throughout the Bay Area, including the SFWA, MSA, and other local galleries. She won numerous awards for her colorful artwork, much of it touched by her whimsical and often irreverent sense of humor.

Florine was a proud San Francisco native and loved her city. Yet Florine and Bill enjoyed travelling within the U.S. and internationally. Travelling and visiting art museums with Florine was like having a personal tour guide and interpreter---she had a vast knowledge and understanding of the history and elements of European, American, and modern art.

Florine was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Martha States, her son Dean Carpenter, and her husband William Carpenter. She is survived by her son Joel (Sigrid) of Greenville, South Carolina, her daughters Celia (Louis Bonfiglio) of Corte Madera and Jeanette (Albert Haegele) of Erie, Colorado; her 6 grandchildren (Adrienne, April, Elizabeth, Lauren, Marcus, and Wade), and 6 great grandchildren. Florine lived with Alzheimer’s disease for more than 17 years; in her later years, she received exceptional care from the wonderful people at A Loving Touch Care Home in Corte Madera. She was a role model and mentor to many. The loving 50-year marriage she created with Bill set a beautiful example for their children and friends. Although Florine suffered many losses, she was an incredibly strong woman who maintained her wicked sense of humor, her interest in the world, her giggle, and her warm compassion for those around her.

A memorial will be held in Corte Madera on Saturday, May 6 between 1-4 pm; information can be obtained by calling 415-927-2925. Florine will be interred with her parents at Salem Memorial Park in Colma. Donations on her behalf can be made to Alzheimers Association (www.alz.org) or Southern Poverty Law Center (www. splcenter.org).