Edith Joan Allard, 80, of Wakefield, R.I., formerly of Somerville, died Aug. 10. Born in Providence, R.I., she was the daughter of the late Chauncey and Esther (Harris) Allard.
Ms. Allard graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1956, majoring in illustration. After graduation she travelled in Italy before returning home to work in the art department at Little, Brown and Company in Boston. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1961 and returned to Italy to travel and paint.
Edith worked at Harvard University Press as a book designer and freelance designer, and as a designer at Designworks in Cambridge, Mass. She was on the faculty of New England School of Art and Design in Boston, and became head of their design department. After living in Cambridge, Mass. she moved to family land in Somerville. Living off the grid on Crummett Mountain Farm she raised sheep, grew and sold organic blueberries, and continued to illustrate and design books. She moved back to Wakefield in October of 2013.
She is survived by a daughter, Dianna Normanton of Litchfield, N.H.; grandsons, Shea Vaccaro of Peterborough, N.H., and Tolin Vaccaro of Litchfield, N.H.; aunt, Justine Harris of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; and cousins, Justine Harris Brooks of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Albert Harris of Petersburg, N.Y., Paul Harris of Brandon, Miss., Carolyn Lowery of Polk City, Fla., John Conn of Homestead, Fla., Stephen Conn of Ocala, Fla., Clyde Pignolet of Somerville, Claudia Fujinaga of Somerville, and Susan Woolley of Rancho Santa Fe, Cal.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Sat., Sept. 13 at Washington Cemetery, Washington.
