Harriet Blackmore

Harriet Blackmore passed from this world on Friday, April 25, 2020. Harriet lived to the ripe old age of 96 which I think surprised her more than anyone else. She was a vibrant, force of nature in her younger days and pretty darn feisty until the end. Harriet, or Hedy, as most knew her, was born in Charlottesville VA in 1923. She started out working as an X-ray technician but had a very short career as she met and married our dad, Steven Sigillo, when she was just 18. They relocated to Brooklyn, where dad was from, to raise a family 3 girls and a boy. All of us, except dad, are still here and will be deeply affected by her absence, even though she lived a long and prosperous life. Mom was a lively, energetic, doer. She had myriad friends, many interests, more creative talent than she realized, and liked to help people in need. Her biggest passion was growing things and to say she had a green thumb would be a huge understatement. Our home was always filled with plants and the gardens that she tended were lush, beautiful places. I remember Mom studying flower arranging and entering garden club competitions every year at the church fund raising bazaar. She worked as a retail plant seller for a number of years and at one point she even ran her own greenhouse business. Hedy loved to make things. There were always lots of projects going in our house. She encouraged all of her kids to follow their dreams and supported our creative endeavors. Hedy collected antiques and tried to instill us all with her enthusiasm for opera and ballet. Some of my fondest memories are daily trips to the beach, Jack Horner Pie (which was a kind of Thanksgiving piata), and ice cream suppers when it was the only rational thing to eat on a sweltering Brooklyn evening. She also adored animals and we had quite a menagerie. Hedy is survived by her beloved and devoted dog, Darcy, who stayed by her side until the very end. Hedy's second husband shared her love of horticulture, knitting, and collecting. They spent many years together and had a sad parting when Bob died of cancer. After a period of mourning, Hedy, at age 80, met a wonderful man named George Blackmore, who was 10 years her senior. They surprised everyone when they got married after a very short courtship but obviously knew what they were doing because they were very much in love and had 11 happy years together until George passed away. The family would like to extend our gratitude to Mom's dear friend of over 40 years, Phil Emminger, for the love and care he showed our mother. George and Hedy were dedicated parishioners of St. Anselm's Episcopal Church in Lafayette, with John Sutton as their minister. Rather than flowers, Hedy has asked that anyone wishing to, may donate to St. Anselm's in her memory, for continued maintenance of their grounds. St. Anselm's Episcopal Church, 682 Michael Lane, Lafayette, CA 94549, 925-284-7420 Hedy will be buried at Oakmont Memorial Park & Mortuary, 2099 Reliez Valley Road, Lafayette, CA 94549, 925-935-3311