In Memoriam
In Memoriam: Dr. Lynn Jones Ennis, 1953-2011
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) graduate, Lynn Jones Ennis of Raleigh died suddenly on July 26, 2011. She was 58.
Lynn began the Graduate Liberal Studies program in fall 1986 while employed at IBM Corporation. Seeking a change in her professional life, Lynn began to focus on her passion for the arts. Her journey through MALS culminated in her final project, The Craft of Penland: Another Reality and earning her MALS degree in spring 1989.
Lynn's transition from the corporate world to arts management was well on its way when she enrolled in a Ph.D. program in American Studies at Union Institute and University where she continued researching Penland School of Crafts. After she earned her Ph.D., Dr. Ennis became the Associate Director and Curator of the Collection at The Gregg Museum of Art & Design at North Carolina State University.
Lynn maintained a close relationship with her fellow students in MALS. Kate Green (MALS 1990) remarked, "she was a great road trip companion...Our longest was about 10 days. We went all over Pennsylvania and New England, and it was right when 'Thelma and Louise' came out. We played that soundtrack on full blast for the whole 10 days."
After graduation, she promoted GLS as a participant in information sessions and played a key role during the search for a GLS Director in 1999. Lynn was a vibrant presence and will be missed by her family, friends, and colleagues.
She is survived by her husband Larry Wayne Ennis; daughter Emily Ennis Alexander, her husband Chris and their daughter Tess of Raleigh. Also surviving are mother Hope Jones Stanton of Plymouth, NC; brothers Doward Jones Jr. and wife Arden, of Roper, NC; Allen Jones and wife Georgina of Raleigh; stepbrother Dr. Edward Stanton of Sanford, NC.
To honor Lynn Ennis' memory and the accomplishment that her path through MALS represents, MALS endowment awards will be expanded to include The Lynn Ennis Memorial Award bringing the total number of awards to five each semester. The award will be given to a GLS student who has demonstrated a passion for the arts as an artist or through arts management.
Members of the GLS community who wish to make a contribution to the MALS Endowment in Lynn's memory may do so online or by mailing their contribution to: Graduate Liberal Studies, Box 90095, Durham, NC 27708-0095. Please note "in memory of Lynn Ennis" MALS Endowment 6115126.
(Photo: Diane Sasson, Lynn Ennis, Pam Bostic - Graduate Liberal Studies 25th Anniversary, Nasher Museum of Art February 2010)