Charleen C. Kinser, 74, of Boalsburg, passed away at Mount Nittany Medical Center on Monday, April 7, 2008. Surviving family members are Maggie and Brad Hohle and their children, Hannah, Tom, Molly and Bill, and a half-sister, Barbara Staepelaer, of Ben Lomond, California. Now at peace, Charleen joins her son, Tom Kinser (1961-1980), and her husband, Bill Kinser (1931-1999).
In her youth, Charleen studied at Chouinard Art Institute and worked for the innovative animation studio UPA, in Burbank, California and in London. Throughout her life she worked as an art director and designer, illustrator and production artist. She wrote several books on craft and design, and edited magazines on craft. From 1977 through 2001, she was the designer and owner of Charleen Kinser Designs, a studio of artisans handcrafting playable soft sculpture.
From childhood, Charleen was fascinated and inspired by nature's shapes and sounds. Her lifelong interests included wildlife ranging from birds to possums, weasels to crows. In her heart, the disruptive starling shared space with the elegant hummingbird. In kinship with other creators, Charleen channeled the beauty of her world and deeply appreciated the work and thoughts of a very wide range of individual minds.
There will be no public services to honor Charleen's spirit. Instead, in respect to her most recent passion, her family would be pleased to have donations made to the PSU research on Colony Collapse Disorder and honey bee health. Checks can be made out to PSU and sent to the Department of Entomology, PSU, 501 ASI Building, University Park, PA 16802, with a note stating that the funds are a gift to the Department of Entomology in support of work on CCD.
A guest book can be signed or condolences sent to the family at www.heintzelmanfuneralhome.com