Elizabeth Thompson

Born in 1954 in New York City to Linda Given and Jerome Abrams, Elizabeth (aka Betty, Betsy, Liz, Bette) grew up in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mount Holyoke College and received an MFA from the Pratt Institute. As a 1976 Rotary Fellow, she studied painting at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. There she met her beloved late husband Richard Thompson, who passed away in 2006. They had two daughters, Victoria and Antonia, who were the center of her universe. In 2011, Liz met the second love of her life, Guerrino De Luca, with whom she shared many adventures.

An avid painter since age 3, she went on to be an artist-in-residence at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, at MoMA PS1 in New York and at the Everglades National Park. Chronicling beaches, pools, architecture, wild landscapes and natural disasters, she had over 30 solo and group exhibitions and notable mural commissions all over the world, culminating in a 40-year retrospective of her work at the Coral Springs Museum of Art in 2018.

An expert giver of speeches, presents, puppet-shows (for her granddaughters) and one-liners, she loved old movies, a gin martini, a good sample sale and the color green. She was radiant, hilarious, glamorous and kind.

In addition to her partner and her daughters, Elizabeth is survived by her step-children Christopher and Caroline, their spouses and children, son-in-law Thomas, granddaughters Leonora and Esme, brother Steven, sister-in-law Cathy Fleming and countless beloved friends.

A visitation will be held from 11:30am to 2pm in New York City at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, located at 1076 Madison Avenue. Friends and loved ones are encouraged to share stories, photographs and memories with the family by email at [email protected]. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Contributions in Elizabeth’s memory may be made to Citymeals on Wheels and The Coalition for the Homeless.