Cornelia Macintyre Foley, born in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 1909, the daughter of Malcolm and Florence Hall Macintyre, died on January 18, 2010, less than two weeks short of her 101st birthday. On her mother's side, she was a third generation descendant of Edwin Oscar Hall, who sailed with his wife from Boston, Massachusetts to Hawaii in 1835. He was a printer and a missionary. Cornelia's father, Malcolm, arrived from Scotland in the early 1900s and became manager for the Sun Trust Assurance Company of Canada for the Hawaiian Islands.

Cornelia attended Punahou School, and continued to the University of Washington in Seattle where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts. She continued her art studies for two years at the Slade Art School in London, England. Returning to Honolulu after her graduation, she opened her own art studio and taught classes to many students.


In 1936, Cornelia married Navy Lieutenant Paul Foley, Jr., and left Hawaii. She and her husband were stationed at U.S. Naval bases located on both the east and west coast of the mainland. During World War II, she was living in Seattle with their first son, while Paul distinguished himself as a Navy pilot and a leader in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, against the Japanese. During six years in Newport, Rhode Island, Cornelia held three one-woman shows as a member of the Newport Art Association.

In 1959, Paul retired from the Navy and the couple took their family to Manhasset, New York, where Cornelia joined the Manhasset Art Association. She remained an active member for over forty years, serving one year as president. She continued to paint and exhibit, and was accepted as a member of the National Association of Women Artists in New York City. During her 48 years in Manhasset, she adopted a more contemporary style, and had two one-woman shows and joined another artist in a two-woman show at the Manhasset Public Library.

In 1992, an important retrospective exhibition covering two centuries of Hawaiian art was mounted at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. One of Cornelia's early works, from the 1930s, was included, and generated quite a stir among private collectors and galleries who eagerly sought out other examples of her Hawaiian-themed early style. This late recognition, coming as it did when she was in her 80s, was most gratifying.

Cornelia's husband, Paul, died in 1990 at the age of 81. She spent the final two years of her life in Severna Park. She is survived by her daughter, Jean Foley of Severna Park, MD; her sons, John Foley of Mount Airy, MD and Mark Foley of Milford, NY; her grandsons Christopher Griffin of Dallas,TX and David Stein of Severna Park, MD and two great-granddaughters. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated for her on Saturday, Jan. 23rd at 10:00am at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 689 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD. She will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery, alongside her husband on Feb. 18th at 2:00pm.

Online condolences may be made at www.barrancofuneralhome.com