Mary Caird

Mary Caird, age 88, passed from us on Ash Wednesday February 14th, 2018. Born in Jefferson City, MO, she was one of five Landwehr siblings. A favorite childhood memory was swimming and boating at the Lake of the Ozarks with her family. She came to New Mexico in 1949 from the Kansas City Art Institute seeking a summer of landscape painting and study of Pueblo Indian culture. She resided in Santa Fe for over a year.

In 1950 she moved to Albuquerque to complete her BFA at UNM, where as a graduate assistant she would student teach alongside Lez Hass, Raymond Jonson, Randell Davey, and Kenneth Adams.

Three years later she was married to Bruce Caird, who was working for the Dale Bellamah Construction Company building homes in Princess Jeanne Park. Bruce later became a Realtor and the owner of Bruce Caird Realty. Together they enjoyed sailing small boats in the beautiful lakes of northern New Mexico as well as the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, the San Juan Islands; and Victoria Island, Vancouver, Canada, where she made a study of the art forms of the North Coast Native Tribes.

An artist by avocation, she was active in the Albuquerque art scene for most of her adult life—art making and teaching being her passion. In the 1980’s she finished her MFA from UNM studying Lithography with Garo Antresean, with a minor in Art Education. She was instrumental in setting up a Stone Lithography Workshop with Frank McCulloch at Highland High School, the first known high school in the country to offer a class in this medium.  She purchased an antique Litho Press from her former mentor and teacher Professor Antresean and the Art Department and continued to work on her craft.

Married for 64 years, Mary and Bruce are survived by five children: Ian Caird (m. Roxanna), Kim Caird (m. Peter), Mary Caitlin Robinson (m. Patrick), Andrew Bruce Caird, and Sarah Caird; by nine grandchildren: Ethan Aronson (m. Thea), Kurtis Robinson, Kyle Robinson (m. Annie), Kelly Robinson (m. Anna), Aaron Espinosa, Maya Espinosa, Thane Caird (m. Laurinda), Karise Caird, and Alexander Caird; and by four great-grandchildren: Finn Robinson, Harper Robinson, Callom Caird, and Magdalene Robinson.

Besides being revered as a devoted mother and grandmother, Mary will be remembered as a person of intelligence, grace and beauty who loved nature, gardening, traveling, and creating art. She was a student of philosophy and world religions who practiced yoga and became a Reiki Master, giving workshops and healing and teaching others.

Her attitude toward death was expressed in a quote by Robert Service:

“ Yea, I am one with all I see, with wind and wave, with pine and palm; Their very elements in me are fused to make me what I am. Through me their common life-stream flows, and when I yield this human breath, in leaf and blossom, bud and rose, live on I will…There is no death.”

A celebration of Mary’s life will be Sunday, April 22, 2018 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, 601 Eubank Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123