Obituary: Marilyn ‘Mimi’ Berg Bedell, 87, of North Haven

Marilyn “Mimi” Berg Bedell, 87, of Wallingford, died on Friday, Oct. 13, at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She was born July 22, 1930, in Highland Park, Illinois, to Anton and Bessie (Johnston) Berg.

After graduating from Highland Park High School, she attended Grinnell College in Iowa and Northwestern University in Illinois, then graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in textile design. She traveled on a Pan-American Scholarship to Mexico, where she met and married George Bedell in 1954.

After living briefly in Dunedin, Florida, and New Haven, they moved to New York City, then returned to New Haven. In those years in New Haven, Mimi took up painting again. Following a move to North Haven, she started a business designing hand-screened clothing, which she continued for 20 years. She also began teaching painting classes at North Haven Adult Education and North Haven Senior Center. She continued to paint and served as president of the Mount Carmel Art Association (now Hamden Art League). Mimi later moved to Wallingford with George and continued to teach painting classes until her death.

Mimi is survived by her children, Amy Bedell and her husband David McIntyre, of Haydenville, Mass., John Bedell and his wife Judy Wang Bedell, of Salem, Mass., David Bedell, of Wallingford, and Susan Bedell and her husband Erich Ludes, of Ames, Iowa; her grandchildren, Rodney and Alfred Bedell and Louisa and Anton Ludes-Bedell; her brother, Robert Berg and his wife Betty, of Brevard, N.C.; two nieces, Nancy Feero and Barbara Friedrich; and many other cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband George and David's partner, Elise Klein.

Mimi will be remembered for her artwork, her love of music and art, and her fondness for good food. She was an avid gardener and cook and took inspiration from her travels in Latin America, the Soviet Union, Europe, and China.