Obituary of John Sheridan Loy

John Loy Obituary

John Sheridan Loy—artist, teacher, humanitarian, patron of the arts, and activist— was born on November 4, 1930, in St. Louis, Mo. and died at home in Clinton, N.Y. on March 12, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was the son of Margaret Clara Hermann and Sheridan Knight Loy, and the younger brother of Elizabeth Loy McMahon (1927- 2016). He attended a progressive elementary school, Community Day School, which nurtured his creative and inquisitive mind. At John Burroughs High School, art classes allowed him to further develop his interest in drawing and painting, and he earned a B.F.A. with a concentration in drawing and painting from Washington University School of Fine Arts in St. Louis. During his time at Wash. U, he met Mary Gaylord, another painter, who would become his 70-year artistic companion. John and Mary were married soon after graduation, on September 11, 1954. That same year, John received a fellowship to Yale-Norfolk Summer Art School in Norfolk, Conn., before being drafted into the army. He completed basic training at Fort Chaffee, Ark. and was stationed in Augsburg, Germany as a clerk, where Mary soon joined him. This experience abroad sparked their lifelong love of traveling together. After returning to the U.S., John attended Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, where he earned an M.F.A. in drawing and painting.

In 1958, John began a long career as a working artist and teacher, starting at Washington University School of Architecture while also serving as program director and art instructor at People’s Art Center in St. Louis, Mo. In 1960, John accepted a teaching position at Pratt Munson College of Art and Design in Utica, N.Y. John and Mary moved to Utica, where they had two children: Jessica in 1959 and Alyson in 1966. They quickly became fixtures within the local arts, education, and social activism communities. John taught at Pratt Munson College of Art and Design as a drawing and painting professor for over 30 years, and was the gallery director at the School of Art from 1978 to 1986, to which he gave much thought and care. He served on the Exhibition Committee for the Kirkland Art Center in Clinton, N.Y., and taught drawing at Hamilton College for a brief spell after retiring from Munson. John was also on the film committee for Munson Art Museum for many years, and served on the Board of Directors at Sculpture Space in Utica, as well as being a consistent contributor to fundraisers such as the “Chairity” art auction. John was also one of the founders of the progressive elementary school the New School of Utica; he devoted countless hours helping in its development, and designed and painted murals inside and on the exterior of the building on the corner of Mulberry St. and Sunset Ave. John was beloved by his students and colleagues, and is remembered for his patience, dry sense of humor, thoughtful and gentle manner, and his devotion to his students. 

John’s personality shines through in his art. He was a perfectionist and approached his process with great thought and care. He said of his work:

                I am an abstract artist, primarily concerned with the formal elements of painting; the interaction of lines, shapes, patterns and colors. My ideas are frequently derived from collage, which I use as a point of departure for my paintings and drawings, and sometimes as an end in itself. I am fascinated by the manipulation and juxtaposition of fragmented shapes and images, which are inherent in the medium of collage. I use these fragments for their abstract quality rather than their symbolic significance. Although there may be some recognizable “clues,” there is no hidden message or literal meaning. My intention is to create an exciting visual experience.

                My technique is pure and simple, but very demanding. I am a perfectionist and a precisionist. I work slowly and methodically, trying to keep as much control as possible. Although the finished work may appear to be entirely predetermined, the work in progress goes through many changes. However, I do not want the working process to be evident, only the final results, so that the colors and forms are unequivocal.

John is best known for his hard-edged, colorful, abstract oil paintings, though he worked in other mediums, in different styles, and with a variety of subjects. One subject he found endlessly intriguing was the beautiful, soft granite rocks of the Penobscot Bay. John and his family spent most summer holidays on Deer Isle, Maine, where he devoted countless hours to brush and ink drawings of the folded rocks and the contrasting water and foliage. He also created images inspired by the architecture and imagery in his travels. He was fascinated with the Mayan and Aztec cultures, and created a series of paintings based on hieroglyphics. 

Throughout his career, John exhibited his work in solo, two-person, and group exhibits throughout New York, Maine, and Missouri, and his paintings are part of many private and museum collections. He has received many awards for his work, and in the summer of 1991, he and Mary were awarded a residency at Cité internationale des arts in Paris, France.

John was extremely devoted to his family and friends, and loved the home he created with Mary, full of art, antiques, and mementos from their travels. He spent a lot of time working in the garden and loved being outdoors, hiking and kayaking. Music was always playing in the house; he enjoyed classical, jazz, and folk and attended concerts frequently. He was warm, kind, earnest, and a good conversationalist with a great sense of humor. 

John is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mary Gaylord Loy (Clinton, N.Y.); daughter and son-in-law Jessica Loy and Tom Santelli (Albany, N.Y.); daughter and son-in-law Alyson Gaylord-Loy and David Horst (Norwich, Conn.); and grandchildren Emma Loy-Santelli (New York, N.Y.), Lydia Loy-Santelli (Asheville, N.C.), Domnica Horst-Loy (Nantucket, Mass.), and Darly Horst-Loy (Norwich, Conn.); as well as many beloved friends.

The family wants to express its endless gratitude to Frank Jacobs for his steadfast loyalty, encouragement and humor during his daily care of John.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation in John’s honor to a charity of your choice.

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date.

There will be a special exhibition of John's work at the Kirkland Art Center from June17 - 22 in honor of his lifetime as an artist and his many contributions to the KAC for over thirty years. There will be a reception on Thursday June 19 from 4pm-7pm with words of Remembrance at 5:30pm. All are welcome. The gallery hours for the week will be posted soon. The gallery will be open each day of this special exhibit during that week. Specific hours will be posted soon.