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TURN OUT THE STARS

DECEMBER 24, 2013
Bye bye Thea, dear friend, indefatigable artist, storied and travelled, Thea Kliros, a fashion and children's book illustrator, died at home Thursday of
lung cancer. She was 78. A strong, engaging spirit, she was generous in sharing her passion for
life and art. Thea lived in Manhattan, but also cherished country weekends at her other home
near Millbrook, NY. Born Althea Friedberg on August 16, 1935, in Queens, she studied at
Bennington College and Yale University. She painted and exhibited, and had a long career as an
award-winning illustrator. Successful in publications such as Vogue and Women's Wear Daily,
she later turned to creating art grounded in the tradition of the great children's book illustrators of
the early 1900s. Her works often featured her grandchildren and her beloved affenpinscher. She
illustrated many books, but her rendition of The Wizard of Oz, published in 2010, was a favorite.
Husbands Theodore Kliros and David Neuman died before her. She is survived by her
companion David Douglas, children Adrian and Hilary Kliros, grandchildren Felix, Lotte, and
Fabian, son-in-law Dan Walworth, daughter-in-law Clara Vega Kliros, and her dog Petra.
© 2024 John H Howard