Quiwie Magnuson

1936 — 2014

Carolyn (Quiwie) Blomgren Magnuson was born in Seattle and lived in the Madrona neighborhood with her parents and three siblings. After graduating from Garfield High School in Seattle and North Park Junior College in Chicago, she studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York City. At Parsons, she won The Gold Thimble Award in Excellence for Garment Design. In 1959 she married George Magnuson of Chicago. They moved to Hinsdale, Ill., where he was a pastor at Hinsdale Covenant Church. Five children were born to Quiwie and George, and while her responsibilities as a wife and mother took priority, she continued her artistic pursuit of visual art in various media fulfilling her drive toward self-expression and generosity. She focused especially on silk screens. Later Quiwie moved to Chicago’s Near North Side, where she worked as an independent fashion designer. She also spent summers on Vashon Island with family and Donald Matter. Quiwie was active in the Covenant Church in Hinsdale and later at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Up until very recent years she enjoyed vigorous physical activities, especially biking, boating, sailing, skiing, and mountaineering. She is survived by her daughters Colette Quackenbush (Kelly) and Rene Nelson (Peter); sons Chad (Beth), Blake (Colette), and Kendall (Stephanie); and 13 grandchildren.