Harriet (Wright) Liotta Obituary

Harriet (Wright) Liotta was faculty at Norwood-norfolk High School in Norwood, NY. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Harriet (wright) Liotta.

School Role	Faculty
Date of Passing	Aug 05, 2005
About	Age 66, (Art Teacher) - Norwood - Harriet W. Liotta, 66, of 3 Bicknell St., died Sunday at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam, where she had been a patient since Aug. 2. Mrs. Liotta taught mechanical drawing at Parishville-Hopkinton Central School and was adviser to the school’s yearbook, Panorama. She then taught art, including photography, at Norwood-Norfolk Central School, retiring in 1994. She also operated Maribeth Enterprises, an antique doll restoration business. During her 30-year teaching career, she designed and decorated sets for many productions at both Norwood-Norfolk and Potsdam central schools. Her voluntary set design and scene work for Potsdam High School included productions of "Little Mary Sunshine," "The Boyfriend," "Oklahoma!" "Li’l Abner," "Damn Yankees," "Guys and Dolls" and "Where’s Charley?" She also did work for Potsdam Opera Company and several Potsdam State University College summer theater productions. She was organist for St. Philip’s Episcopal Church for 25 years. Mrs. Liotta was a founding member of Tri-Town Singers, a community-based chorus, and served on the boards of directors of both the St. Lawrence County Arts Council and Norwood Village Green Concert Series. As co-founder of Norwood Village Green Concert Series, she designed the Norwood Band Shell and wrote the first grant proposals for the series, including one for an American Revolution Bicentennial Commission Grant. She also served as Web master, was responsible for producing the production guide, researched possible performers and prepared and served meals to several musical performers, including some from Burkina Faso in Africa, Chile in South America and New Zealand. Mrs. Liotta wrote a paper titled "Brick Making, the Forgotten Industry," a history of brick making in St. Lawrence County, which was published by the St. Lawrence County Historical Society. Born April 26, 1939, in Potsdam, daughter of Frederick Miller and Eva Whan Wright, she graduated in 1957 from Norwood-Norfolk Central. She received a bachelor of arts degree in 1964 from Potsdam State Teachers College, graduating third in her class. She was a recipient of a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and continued her formal education at New York University and Fred Picker Zone 6 School of Photography, Putney, Vt. She married Joseph Liotta on Nov. 19, 1966, at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church with the Rev. John Higgins officiating. A previous marriage ended in divorce. Surviving besides her husband and her mother, of Colton and Roswell, Ga., are a son, Robert Gibson, Norwood; two daughters, Mrs. Michael (Elizabeth Gibson) Adams, Pinellas Park, Fla., and Mrs. Jason (Maria) Dickinson, Norwood; a brother and his wife, John and Leigh Wright, Alpharetta, Ga.; three sisters, Mrs. Willy (Jenny) Grimmke, Colton and Roswell, Mrs. Gerald (Ingrid) Berglund, Clearwater, Fla., and Mrs. Robert (Christina Brown) Acworth, Ga.; three grandchildren, a great-grandchild and 11 nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Zion Episcopal Church, Colton, with the Revs. Patricia LaVine and Curtis S. Denney officiating. Burial will be in Morley Cemetery. Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Buck Funeral Home, Norwood. Donations may be made to Norwood Village Green Concert Series, Norwood Playground Fund, the food pantry of Zion Episcopal Church or Hospice & Palliative Care of St. Lawrence County.