Alain De Leiris

Alain de Leiris, 91, of Third Beach Road, Middletown, RI, died on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, MA.He was the husband of Mary (Virgadamo) de Leiris for 63 years, and the son of the late Robert and Jeanne (Thiboust) Wiener.Mr. de Leiris was born in Paris, France on August 7, 1922. From age 13 to 18 he and his twin brother, Gilles, lived with their parents on their own subsistence farm in southern France. He remembered these formative years on the farm with great fondness. This fostered a lifelong connection to the earth, which in later years led to his passion for gardening and other outdoor work.Mr. de Leiris came to the United States at the age of 18 and served as a flight instructor, training French cadets in the US Army Air Corps during World War II. He attended Rhode Island School of Design, and received his Doctoral Degree in Art History from Harvard University. He went on to teach Art History at the University of Maryland and produced a major work on the drawings of Edouard Manet. Mr. de Leiris was a member and former president of the Alliance Francaise of Newport and a member of the Newport Art Museum. In addition to gardening, he enjoyed painting and drawing, and sailing on Narragansett Bay. He was also an avid reader.He is survived by his wife, Mary; his son, Daniel de Leiris of Jamestown, RI; his daughter, Lucia de Leiris of Watertown, MA; and his grandchildren, Sarah and Benjamin de Leiris.A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, February 6, 2014 in St. Mary's Church, corner of Spring Street and Memorial Blvd., Newport, RI.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Home Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904 or to a charity of your choice. Service FEB 6. 10:00 AM St. Marys Catholic Church 12 William Street Newport, RI, US, 02840