Beatrice Wiesner
July 27, 1933 ~ November 30, 2021
Beatrice Wiesner
July 27, 1933 – November 30, 2021
Beatrice Wiesner was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, the daughter of Henry and Velma Wiesner. Bea, as she liked to be called, loved growing up in Wheeling, where “everyone knew everyone.”
Bea was, at her core, an artist. She is a graduate of West Virginia University, where she majored in fine art. She later studied at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida.
Her love of art led her to a 30-year career as a scientific illustrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For many of those years, her role was to paint plaster models to look like fruits and vegetables real enough to eat. Produce inspectors took these models into the field to help them gauge product quality. Bea took pride in the fact that her work helped inform American consumers across the nation about the quality of the produce they were buying. Her role was so unique that she was profiled in a variety of publications, including The Washington Post, The Evening Star, The Sun (Baltimore), Good Housekeeping, and The Star Magazine.
In her off-hours, Bea loved to draw and paint—everything from portraits and landscapes to still lifes. Her favorite medium was oil. She exhibited her work in a variety of settings, including the Torpedo Factory and the Art League Gallery, both in Alexandria. She also shared her love of art as a volunteer at the Renwick Gallery, the Phillips Collection, and the Smithsonian.
Her self-expression found a home in music as well. In high school, Bea loved playing the saxophone in the marching band. She later excelled as a pianist, entertaining members of her church and local community centers, family and friends, and residents of nursing homes and retirement communities with her gifts. In her own retirement, she took flute and harp lessons, but it was always her upright piano that was closest to her heart. A lifelong learner, she earned an associate’s degree in music from the Northern Virginia Community College in 1996.
Church was another major focus for Bea. During her early life, she enjoyed membership in the Church of the Pilgrims in Washington, D.C. For the last three decades, she was an enthusiastic member of Trinity United Methodist Church, in McLean, Virginia, where she was a regular volunteer, including as a back-up pianist.
Bea was deeply loved by her many friends and family, who will celebrate her life at Money and King Funeral Home in Vienna, Virginia, at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12.
July 27, 1933 – November 30, 2021
Beatrice Wiesner was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, the daughter of Henry and Velma Wiesner. Bea, as she liked to be called, loved growing up in Wheeling, where “everyone knew everyone.”
Bea was, at her core, an artist. She is a graduate of West Virginia University, where she majored in fine art. She later studied at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida.
Her love of art led her to a 30-year career as a scientific illustrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For many of those years, her role was to paint plaster models to look like fruits and vegetables real enough to eat. Produce inspectors took these models into the field to help them gauge product quality. Bea took pride in the fact that her work helped inform American consumers across the nation about the quality of the produce they were buying. Her role was so unique that she was profiled in a variety of publications, including The Washington Post, The Evening Star, The Sun (Baltimore), Good Housekeeping, and The Star Magazine.
In her off-hours, Bea loved to draw and paint—everything from portraits and landscapes to still lifes. Her favorite medium was oil. She exhibited her work in a variety of settings, including the Torpedo Factory and the Art League Gallery, both in Alexandria. She also shared her love of art as a volunteer at the Renwick Gallery, the Phillips Collection, and the Smithsonian.
Her self-expression found a home in music as well. In high school, Bea loved playing the saxophone in the marching band. She later excelled as a pianist, entertaining members of her church and local community centers, family and friends, and residents of nursing homes and retirement communities with her gifts. In her own retirement, she took flute and harp lessons, but it was always her upright piano that was closest to her heart. A lifelong learner, she earned an associate’s degree in music from the Northern Virginia Community College in 1996.
Church was another major focus for Bea. During her early life, she enjoyed membership in the Church of the Pilgrims in Washington, D.C. For the last three decades, she was an enthusiastic member of Trinity United Methodist Church, in McLean, Virginia, where she was a regular volunteer, including as a back-up pianist.
Bea was deeply loved by her many friends and family, who will celebrate her life at Money and King Funeral Home in Vienna, Virginia, at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12.
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I knew Bea for many years at Trinity UMC. She was such a multitalented person with a quiet dignity and grace. I always loved the bright colors and distinctive fashions she wore, and she was such a willing and devoted volunteer for many activities at Trinity. I’m sorry that we won’t be able to attend her memorial service, but Jim and I send our love and condolences to her family and friends. Molly Sprouse
Bea was a lovely, talented and caring person who accepted everyone and blessed the lives of all who knew her. Thank you to her family and Pastor Gilmore for this touching celebration of Bea. Karen Hunt
Even though we didn’t get to see her as much as we would have liked as kids, Bea was a much loved Aunt. She went out of her way to make it to my high school graduation and my wedding (despite a big blizzard!). When I was very small she looked after me one day while the rest of the family toured Washington DC, and I was inspired by her beautiful drawings and paintings, which I had to beg her to show me. I still think of her when I paint and play the piano; maybe some of those genes live on! She and her sisters were adorable together – almost like triplets. Rest in peace, Aunt Bea.