Eugene Richard Samuelson, a founder of the Wednesday Group of plein-air painters here, died of complications of diabetes at home in Amagansett on Feb. 15. He was 85.
Mr. Samuelson, known as Gene, had a lifelong passion for art. Born in Philadelphia on Oct. 18, 1939, to Harry Samuelson and the former Rose Kaiser, he graduated from the Museum School of Art in that city in 1961, and then enlisted in the Army.
After being released from active duty (he remained in the Reserves), his training as an illustrator led him to New York City and a career as an art director. He initially designed titles for feature and industrial films before transitioning into advertising.
“His deep love for the process and craft of production expanded his role beyond art direction into the role of film producer and director,” according to his family. “He thrived in the world of making broadcast TV commercials, enjoying his colleagues and projects.” His clients ranged from toy makers to spirits brands, and he often found himself in Los Angeles, “collaborating with fellow creatives and immersing himself in the work of television commercial production — a field he truly loved.”
Mr. Samuelson’s devotion to his wife of 57 years, the former Judith Winchell, “was the guiding force of his life,” his children said. They met on Nantucket and were married on Sept. 9, 1967.
They lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn, then moved to Montclair, N.J., to raise their two sons. After a brief period in Baltimore, the couple retired to Amagansett, where her parents had been since the early 1960s, and from their early days together the couple had visited them here. “He came to love the sea immensely, especially as an artist,” his family said.
Mr. Samuelson found great joy in watercolor painting and photography and was described as “an enthusiastic admirer of Broadway musicals and opera.” A fan of movies, he was also a great cook, with a particular fondness for Chinese food, “one of many simple pleasures that brought him happiness.”
After retiring here, he joined the East End Artists Alliance and eventually served as its treasurer. Together, he and his close friend Frank Sofo formed the Wednesday Group, named for the day on which the plein-air painters would assemble and travel the South and North Forks in search of places to paint. He made many friends in the group, and the art he created hangs on the walls of family and friends alike.
Mr. Samuelson “was a loving father to his sons,” Alexander Samuelson of Cedar Grove, N.J., and Colin Samuelson of Fairfield, Conn., who survive, “and embraced his daughters-in-law, Jill and Tracie, with equal love and warmth. His five grandchildren — Benjamin, Grace Rose, Jesse, Connor, and Matthew — were a constant source of pride and joy.” They survive, as do three nephews, Neil Feinberg of Gettysburg, Pa., Adam Feinberg of Fairless Hills, Pa., and Gregory Feinberg of State College, Pa.
A sister, Barbara Feinberg, died before him.
A memorial gathering will be held in the summer, when friends and family will be “invited to celebrate Gene’s life while enjoying his artwork — a fitting tribute to a man whose creativity touched so many lives.”
His family has suggested donations to East End Hospice, online at eeh.org.
