Howard John Besnia Art for Sale at Auction

b. 1921 - d. 2014

Howard was born on January 24, 1921, in Worcester, the son of Howard H. and Mary (Ciborowski) Besnia. He was an Army veteran of World War II serving with Headquarters 2502nd Service Command Unit in Maryland. While in the service, he met Shirley, the love of his life, and they were married in 1945. Following his service to his country, Howard returned to school earning a Bachelor's Degree from Clark University and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Yale University.

Howard's lifelong passion was art. Among his many talents, he was a caricaturist, portrait painter, sculptor, photographer, graphic artist and bookmaker. He designed and published five fine art books in 6 years, one of which was an award winner at the New England Book Show. He even sketched the stars from his own observatory.

He taught art for over 60 years, beginning at Auburn High School and ending with decades of service at Fitchburg State College. Upon his retirement, he continued to teach classes from his home studio up to the final year of his life. -