George Karl Fenn Jr.

AMENIA — George Karl Fenn Jr., a boundlessly generous community member, friend and beloved uncle, died on March 31, 2016, at the age of 85. Born on Dec. 19, 1930, George grew up in Hyde Park in Chicago, Ill., spending summer seasons at his family’s property on Bass Lake in Dickinson County in Michigan.

George attended Harvard at the age of 16, graduating with an A.B. in 1951 and going on to obtain his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1954. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. 

Following the war, George built an estimable career over nearly 40 years at MetLife, retiring as vice president and investment counsel.

Mr. Fenn was the heart and soul of many of the garden conservancy activities in Amenia, having been one of the early founders of the Amenia Garden Club with its Hidden Gardens tours (including his own delightful stroll garden and pond). He also hosted many of the gatherings before the tours. 

In 1965 George and his partner, Bill Tarbox, moved to Amenia. They acquired the Mead Farm House, built in 1850, which had fallen into total disrepair. Here they started by carefully restoring the house, researching its history so as to maintain many of the original features. Then they worked on the garden. They incorporated the foundations of the original silo and barn into their design and created a pond for frogs and water lilies. They made a specialty of succession planting, so that something was always in bloom. They grew an extensive vegetable garden, aiming at self-sufficiency and freezing much of the produce for the winters. The garden included both corn and asparagus, and they had the first spring peas. In the early 1990s with a group of friends — Diana King, Maxine Paetro, and Janet Brennan — they founded the Amenia Garden Club. Ten gardens were on display every year, and proceeds from the tour were spent on bulbs to be distributed to Amenia gardeners. Now, if you drive through Amenia in the spring, you can enjoy the sight of thousands of daffodils. Their garden was also opened to the Garden Conservancy tours twice a year.

Both Bill and George were wonderful hosts and enjoyed cooking. As Bill ran the Children’s Book Fair in Milan, Italy, they spend a lot of time traveling throughout Italy and specialized in Italian dishes. Music was an important part of their lives and they loved classical music and attended concerts both in this area and in New York. They loved reading, and their library — maybe the best part of the house — contains a wonderful collection.

In the spring of 2015 George was diagnosed with cancer. Despite medical intervention, his health deteriorated steadily. In March of this year his niece Jodi took him to Austin, Texas, where, despite the best of care, the cancer spread unremittingly and he died at the end of the month.

Many in the Amenia community remember him fondly, including former Town Supervisor Bill Flood, who chaired the Planning Board after him.

“George Fenn was a true gentleman. An extremely dedicated public servant. He did an incredible job as chairperson of the Planning Board when Amenia was going through a busy time. He was gracious and ran the board with poise and patience while still maintaining complete control. When I took over as chairman he was always there to assist me when I needed help. He was a good friend and will be greatly missed.” 

George will be long remembered for his kindness, his generosity and his contributions to the town. Best of all, someone once referred to him as “the venerable George Fenn,” and in the best sense of that word, it remains the perfect epithet.

One of George’s closest friends, Diana King, who founded the Kildonan School, accompanied him to many cultural events including his beloved classical music concerts at Music Mountain. The two threw parties together and were practically inseparable after George’s partner, Bill Tarbox, died. 

“He became my closest and dearest friend and I will remember him fondly as long as I live,” said King, who was with him days before he died in Austin.

George was predeceased by his sister, Elizabeth Wallace (Fenn) MacDougal; his mother, Vera Eleanor Fenn; and his father, George Karl Fenn, a renowned heart surgeon based in Chicago and a professor of medicine at Northwestern University. 

He is survived by two nieces, Jodi and Megan MacDougal; and two nephews, Mark and Russell Fenn MacDougal.

Donations in George’s memory may be made online at www.gardenconservancy.org or The Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516, or call the Conservancy at 845-424-6500.  

A memorial gathering is being planned for the summer at one of the local gardens, details to be announced.