Glenna Goodacre (1939 – 2020): We Mourn, We Remember, We Celebrate.
Glenna at work in her studio on the Irish Memorial
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Glenna Goodacre, the renowned sculptor of our very own Irish Memorial. She died peacefully at her home in Santa Fe after a series of illnesses.
For those of us that knew and worked closely with Glenna, we will always remember her tireless devotion to this project, and her commitment to capturing the spirit of what we hoped to achieve with the Memorial — to be an everlasting memorial to all who perished during An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, and those who survived and went on to forge a new life in the United States. The Irish Memorial had an incredible team of artists: the evocative landscape by Pauline Hurley-Kurtz, the beautiful design elements of Patricia McElroy and Dermot Mac Cormack and soulful words of Peter Quinn … all of which work off of the glorious sculpture by Glenna Goodacre. Her empathy, dedication, and creativity made manifest our hopes and dreams for the Memorial and we were truly blessed that our paths crossed. We all became part of her extended family and grieve with them in her parting. We take comfort however, knowing that every day, a new visitor to the Irish Memorial meets Glenna for the first time. Once we get through this current crisis we will be honoring Glenna at The Memorial.
Harry Connick Jr. (Glenna’s son-in-law) writes:
“I write this with a very heavy heart. Jill’s mom, Glenna Goodacre, died last night. Jilly says, “I lost my mother, hero and best friend today, and my heart is completely broken. She was one of the most celebrated artists of all time, and yet she always said that her greatest pieces were her two children. I will miss her love, laughter, and humor.”
“…I’ve loved her deeply since I first met her when I was 22. I love you so much, Glenna. You will always be a role model to me and, more importantly, to our daughters. you will forever be in my heart. Please pray for my Jilly and her family. Thank y’all so much…” ️
Read the full Obituary
