Princeton artist Lucy McVicker dies at 90

Lucy McVicker, artist in Princeton

Lucy Claire Graves McVicker was 90 when she passed quietly in her  sleep on May 9. Her parents were Herbert Cornelius Graves, II and Josephine Lee Yost. She was born in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and grew up on a farm in West Chester in Allegheny County with her sister, Nancy, and her brother, Herbert. They were a close-knit family.  

Lucy studied English and art, and she received her bachelor’s degree from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. She married Charles Taggart McVicker in 1954. They lived first in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and then in Los Angeles, finally settling in Princeton in 1957, where Lucy lived the rest of her life. 

Her greatest pride was her family. She had four children: Lauri, Christopher,  Bonnie and Heather. Lucy loved nothing more than seeing their successes and supporting them in life’s trials. 

Lucy also had a successful career as an award-winning artist. After attending the Parsons School of Design in New York City, she continued to study and painted vigorously. As her creativity expressed itself, she became known, and her work is in many private and corporate collections. She was a founding member of the Princeton Artists Alliance. Lucy has won prizes in art shows sponsored by the American Watercolor Society, the New Jersey Watercolor Society, and the Garden State Watercolor Society, and she is a signature member of each of these organizations. 

Lucy was a devout member of the Christian Science Church, serving in many capacities. Her love of God was unending. She was also a member of the Mayflower Society as a descendent of Captain Myles Standish. 

Lucy loved every person she met. She embraced everyone with a huge smile, a  hug, and a look that said, “I want to know more about you.” She loved to teach art, and many of her students, including family members, will never forget her patient, gentle lessons. The loss of Lucy’s presence will be felt by family, friends, and many in the Princeton community. 

She is predeceased in death by her son, Christopher. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Charles, and her daughters: Lauri McVicker, Bonnie Wilson, and Heather Teffenhart, and their respective partners/spouses, Darlene Lowe, Peter Wilson, and Robert Teffenhart. She is also survived by her five grandchildren, Emily, Sarah, Trisha, Christine, and Daniel, as well as three great grandchildren, Charles, William, and Olivia. 

A private memorial service will be held for the family this summer. Lucy loved the environment, especially birds, trees, and flowers. Donations in her memory may be made to the New Jersey Audubon Society.