SWS Memorials

Lola Newell

(1934-2026)

In Memoriam

By Jo Williams, SWS

Lola was born in December 1934, in the small farming community of Renwick, IA. She married James W. Newell in 1953 in Golden, CO. Mr. Newell worked for the oil industry as a geophysicist for oil exploration, which led the family to move every two to four years.

Lola began her art endeavors painting in oil while living in Denver in the 1960s. Then, after moving to California in the late 60s, Lola took up various crafts.

In 1970, the family was transferred to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where Mr. Newell worked in the Arctic Island region. During their time in Calgary, Lola returned to painting in oil.

In 1972, they moved back to the US to Richardson, TX, so their sons could finish high school in the U.S.

She began her watercolor painting experience after moving to Texas, where she joined Southwestern Watercolor Society in May 1974. She took and taught workshop classes, including some art classes at Richland Community College. She also began working with digital photography in the 1990s and added mixed media collage to her repertoire in the 2000s while taking classes at Collin County College. She entered and placed in many SWS exhibitions, earning the SWS Signature membership status and was believed to be the oldest living Signature Member at the time of her death in August 2026.

She spent her lifetime in creative endeavors – painting, refinishing furniture, sewing clothes and costumes for her sons’ and daughter’s drama classes and programs. She handmade many puppets for her sons to use for puppet shows (many Disney-themed characters such as Peter Pan and other familiar characters) at school and community events. Following her husband’s death in 2013, she moved to Denton in 2015 to be closer to her son Tom and daughter-in-law Dallas. She then became part of the vibrant Denton art community where she joined VAST and continued her lifelong love of learning. She took several UNT OLLI (lifelong learning classes) on the subjects of art and history. She researched her family genealogy extensively, traveling to Switzerland and Europe. She expanded her media from watercolor to collage while perfecting her photography skills as well.

A highlight for Lola was the annual two-week paint out in Kerrville in January. The group consisted of her former classmates at Collin County College. They always rented a studio complex and a B&B on the Guadalupe and celebrated Lola’s birthday in the evenings at various local restaurants to see how many free desserts they could score.

She took classes in Denton with Darla Bostick both locally and also attended Darla’s workshop at Ghost Ranch, NM, and she also attended one of Jo Williams’ Caddo Lake workshops. The Denton Art Room honored Lola on her 90th birthday with a private exhibition and sale with a large gathering of friends, colleagues, and relatives from out of state. Lola was very active with the Plano Heritage Farmstead Museum during their time in Richardson. She oversaw the Volunteer Run “Store” that sold many handmade items & crafts of interest to visitors of the museum.

Remembering Lola

Friends and fellow artists share their memories of Lola:

“Lola was a force to be reckoned with...so much energy.” (Darla Bostick)

“I will remember her for her talent, warm smile, and most of all, her sweet spirit.” (Jo Williams)

“Lola always gave so much time and energy to helping others. One of my friends commented, ‘When she (the friend) died, she wanted to come back as something of Lola’s.’ Lola was always thinking of her friends, and she might help them.” (Nel Dorn Byrd)

No services are planned at this time. A memorial service may occur in the future. Per her wishes, her body was donated to UT Southwestern Medical’s Willed Body Program to support research into Alzheimer’s, the disease that took the life of both her parents.

Les McDonald, Jr

(1943-2025)

In Memoriam - Les McDonald, Jr., passed away at Houston Hospice on September 25, 2025, at age eighty-one. He is remembered for his passion for realistic watercolor art, commitment to teaching, and love of fishing and hunting.

Born in Victoria, Texas, on December 22, 1943, to Leslie C. McDonald and Patricia Hunt McDonald, Les spent much of his formative years in Port O’Connor, Texas. There, he developed a deep appreciation for nature and cultivated his love for hunting and fishing. He studied at Sam Houston State College, earning a degree in commercial art and photography in 1967.

Les and his wife, Dianne Roberts, were married for 56 years, sharing countless joyful experiences, a deep sense of excitement, and a strong mutual commitment throughout their time together. Les began his professional career as a graphic artist, working for a variety of advertising agencies. In 1986, during a period of economic recession, Les decided to leave the advertising world and devoted himself fully to his passion for art.

He collaborated closely with conservation organizations, creating paintings that depicted diverse wildlife and earning varied awards for his contributions. Les exhibited his artwork at prominent wildlife art shows across the country and at notable Texas events such as the 4th of July Rockport Art Festival.



As an active member of the Watercolor Arts Society of Houston (WAS-H), Les participated in various exhibitions and competitions, where he received numerous accolades. Driven by a desire to share his expertise, he taught classes at WAS-H and other venues, inspiring other aspiring artists. One of his proudest achievements was his designation as a Signature member in the American Watercolor Society in 2024. Due to poor health, Les had to cancel a scheduled workshop in Dallas for SWs in the Spring of 2026.

Ken Toki

(1931-2025)

Ken Toki was featured in an Artist Spotlight in the SCENE newsletter in May of 2022 and the article profiles his unusual resume as an artist. Born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1931, his childhood included the deprivations of WWII Japan. After the war he returned to school and earned a degree in engineering. Afterward, he had a successful career in senior management with Mitsubishi Electric working in both Japan and the US. After his retirement in 1996, he became committed to a career in painting and was met with early successes.  

Ken has had a variety of solo/group gallery and museum exhibitions throughout Japan and internationally. In 2005, his work, “Let's Dance from Morning ’til Night” of Maya dancers at San Miguel de Allende, Mexico received the All-Japan Gold Medal. His works were hung in the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art for the ten years prior to his moving to the US/Texas in 2009 where his work was successful in competitions and he exhibited solo shows in several galleries.

Ken earned his signature with the Southwestern Watercolor Society in 2022 and continued to enjoy competing in our annual juried exhibitions. Besides painting daily, Ken wrote and published Japanese Tanka poetry, worked on thousands of Sudoku puzzles, and loved to travel. Travel fostered new ideas for new works.

Prior to his passing at Corpus Christi on January 4, Ken celebrated his 94th Christmas Day birthday at the waterside hotel at Fulton Harbor where he went with his wife every year and painted harbor views. As he requested, his ashes were placed in the sea at a celebration of his life on Port Aransas Island. It was fitting that the Channel Islands resident pod of thirty dolphins were visible and active during the seaside commemoration of Ken’s life.

Naomi Brotherton (1920-2024)

On May 12, 2024, Naomi Brotherton, the last founding member of SWS passed away. A beloved pillar of our society who encouraged so many of us through her mentoring, she continued to teach and paint well into her nineties. On April 8, 2024, SWS celebrated Naomi’s 104th birthday.  

Active in the Southwestern Watercolor Society since its founding in the 1960s, Naomi had served as President and been active as a leader for many years. As she became more frail in the last few years, visitors to Naomi at home report that she always wanted to hear news of SWS. Her enthusiasm and contributions to the society have been so notable that SWS named the Membership Exhibition Best of Show award in her honor. Up until the last few years, Naomi came to the annual receptions to congratulate the winners.  

Joan Hunkel (1938 - 2024)

Joan Hukel, a beloved artist, devoted mother, and cherished friend, passed away on January 29, 2024, at Navarro Regional Hospital in Corsicana, Texas. She was 86 years old.

After distinguishing herself as a scholar during her school years in north Texas, she studied Art at community college and SMU. Her passion for drawing, oil and watercolor painting, as well as pastels, was evident in the beautiful creations she brought to life. Her artistic prowess extended beyond her personal pursuits; Joan served as the president of the Association of Traditional Artists and various other art groups in Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Arlington and metroplex. She loved attending workshops from the many local art clubs.

She worked for Brockway Standard for 34 years, started as a secretary, moved on to purchasing agent, accounting and office manager. One of her unique contributions was the creation of her own Christmas snow scene painting. The company manufactures all types of steel containers and they were so impressed with this painting and her creativity and festive spirit that they printed thousands of cans featuring her artwork.

Active in her church and other civic groups, she loved to travel and camp at various state parks with her husband, Glen where she would setup deep in a forest with an easel painting. She participated in many arts groups and took home ribbons from art competitions. She was a special loving and talented lady who brought compassion and an adventurous spirit into everything she did. She will be missed.

Judy Walker Duck  (d. 2023)

Judy Walker passed away in July, 2023. A supporter of the Southwestern Watercolor Society and some of her paintings have been donated to SWS to auction at a future fundraiser.

Raised in Oklahoma, after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, she moved to Dallas and worked for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. For the last thirty years of her career, she had her own business doing billing and collections for physicians. She married James Carrol Duck in 1982 in St Georges, Bermuda, who predeceased her.

After Judy retired from her career, she took classes at Artisans Studio with Naomi Brotherton, Pat Kochan, and others she became an important part of the Artisans’ community. She is deeply missed and has been honored by Artisans when they funded an award in her name in the 2023 SWS Membership Exhibition.

After retirement she moved to Edgemere Independent Living where she taught art and was a member of the Knit Wits, making hats for the Ukrainian children and for newborns at local hospitals.

Teryl Viner (1938 – 2023)

Former SWS member, Teryl Viner, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2023 in Vero Beach, Florida. She was born in Coronado, California into a Navy family, Teryl attended 12 schools before graduating from high school in Falls Church, Virginia. After high school she moved to Austin, Texas where she attended The University of Texas as a Physics and Math major. This is where she met her first husband and the father of her two children, Don Speers.

After college, they moved to Seattle where she began decorating and painting window displays for local shops. This led her to take art classes and focused her efforts on developing her artistic talents, which would remain her professional passion for the next five decades.

For 20 years Teryl lived in Houston where she raised her children and focused on her professional art career. During this period, she studied under renowned artists, Chen Chi, Millard Sheets, Edgar Whitney, Carl Molno and Glen Bradshaw. She opened her Teryl Townsend Gallery on Nantucket Island in 1977 and operated it until 1988.

Teryl’s professional career included multiple solo exhibitions in Nantucket, New York, Palm Beach and Houston. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts in Vero Beach. She has received many accolades in her career, including The Century Award from the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society, First Place Award for the Spectrum Exhibition from the Southwestern Watercolor Society and the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Also, one of Teryl’s most cherished traditions for over 30 years was designing her personalized Christmas Cards. A combination of inspirational passages and prints of her own favorite works, these were eagerly anticipated and enjoyed by friends and family. She was a devout Christian and studied at the School of Theology at Sewanee: The University of The South. She has been a member of the Community Church of Vero Beach for over 20 years. She has served as a Deacon and a member of the Community Church’s Board of Music and Fine Arts.

In 2022 the church named the Music and Fine Arts Ministry the “Viner Series for the Visual Arts” in honor and love for Teryl. This provides local artists the opportunity to show case their talents. Teryl’s other interests included golf, entertaining and most importantly her family. Teryl is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Arthur Viner. She is survived by her children and grandchildren.

Mary “Jodie” Baldwin (1931 - 2023)

Mary “Jodie” Baldwin of Fairview, Texas, a longtime signature member of SWS, peacefully passed away February 22, 2023, with her husband Wayne by her side. She was born in Ashland, Kansas on November 10, 1931, to James Ageson Shuler and Mary Alice Shuler. After graduating as valedictorian of Ellinwood High School, she attended Kansas University to pursue her love of art. Jodie and Wayne were married on December 3, 1971. Jodie is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

After a successful banking career in Dallas, Jodie retired as Vice President of Bank of America in Dallas in 1993. Her passion for painting and art led to her co-ownership in The Garret Art Gallery in historic downtown McKinney. The gallery was a popular town square shop for many years. Her talent was recognized by the Southwestern Watercolor Society as she was honored with “signature status”. Her favorite place to paint was her kitchen window with natural light streaming in.

A funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas. The family received friends during a visitation on Tuesday evening from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Interment was held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Stamford, Texas. To convey condolences and to sign an online registry, please visit www.tjmfuneral.com.

John Brooks (1957 – 2023)

John Preston Brooks, 65, passed away on September 9, 2023, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was a proud graduate of Texas A&M where he earned a degree in architecture which served him well, later becoming an award-winning architect. He was an avid caver and turned his love of caves into art which graces the covers of multiple publications.

John met his wife, Jill Buffington Brooks, in 2008 and they married two years later. He and Jill created a wonderful life together and squeezed in as many memories as possible with adventures near and far.

In the last few years of his life, John developed a passion for watercolor painting. He was very committed to transforming his admirable drawing skills into strong paintings. The first step was realized when he had a painting accepted into the 2023 SWS exhibition in September. His wife stood in for him at the awards reception at the end of the month.

Mike Mazer, SWS (1937-2022)

Signature SWS member, Dr. Myron S. (Mike) Mazer 85, of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts died February 1st after a long illness. A physician who practiced medicine for 35 years, Mike was serving as Chief of Cardiology and Chief of Kidney Disease at the Good Samaritan Medical Center until his retirement in 1997. Noted for many significant discoveries and developments, when asked about his achievements, Dr Mazer said, “to have had the honor and privilege with his insatiable desire to be there for others who are in need of medical care and help. There can be no greater achievement in life”. A volunteer of the Vietnam War, Mike was also a LCDR, U.S. Navy, retired.

After retiring, Mike renewed his early interest in painting in watercolor and oil and became a nationally and internationally award-winning artist and a two-term President of the New England Watercolor Society. He also earned signature memberships in a number of art societies including the Southwestern Watercolor Society. He was a designated U.S. Coast Guard artist, and exhibited his work widely. Many of his paintings hang in museums and public and private collections across the country.

Michael Wortman (1949-2021)

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Michael Wortman, a longtime member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society and renowned interior designer from Dallas. A proud graduate of Texas Tech, Wortman was recognized as one of the top 100 interior designers in Dallas by “D Magazine.”

In his off hours, Wortman loved to paint, especially in watercolor and he exhibited his works with SWS. His family is grateful for the many paintings left behind that show his passion for art.

A loving husband, father and grandfather, Michael Wortman will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Louis C. Bono (1958–2020)

The SWS Past-President Lou Bono, 2018-2020, passed away on July 22, 2020 after an accident.

No one is surprised at the extraordinary outpouring of love and concern that has been expressed by the vast network of people whose lives have been touched by Lou. An enthusiastic urban sketcher and watercolor devotee, Lou was a cheerleader for everyone he met. Under his leadership, the membership grew to a record of 474 members and his Leadership Team was empowered to manage all the great SWS programs including membership meetings, workshops, paint-outs, the holiday parties, and the annual exhibitions. He even kept everything going in the face of a pandemic.

We will all miss Lou more than we can imagine. To honor his memory, the Board of Directors has decided to authorize a new award for the member exhibition. The award will be funded by donations to the Lou Bono Annual Memorial Award fund.

To make a donation in Lou’s name, select the “Donate: Memorial Award” button at the top of the column on the Right side of the SWS website. Fill out the form on the page and then go down to the Memorial Award Section and put in the amount you wish to donate and “Lou Bono” into the “Enter Member’s Name” field. We hope to collect enough money to make this an annual award. If you choose to donate, THANK YOU! This is a perfect way to keep the spirit of Lou Bono alive.

Roy Lorenz Moskop (1921-2020)

Former member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society, Roy Lorenz Moskop, died in Dallas on June 11, 2020. He was 98 years old. Roy was born August 12, 1921 in St. Louis, MO, the son of Dr. Peter G. and Emma C. Moskop. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1942 with a degree in journalism and an ROTC commission, then reported directly for wartime service in the army. By war’s end he was a captain and was awarded a bronze star. In 1945 he married his beloved Helen Baxter in St. Louis and they enjoyed 72 years of married life ending with her death in 2018. He joined Southwestern Bell in 1946, spending the next 38 years, ending as vice president of public relations for Texas operations. He retired in 1984 as vice president.

After retirement, Mr. Moskop developed his hobby of watercolors exhibiting ribbon-winning paintings at Texas State Fairs from 1986 to 2004. He also qualified to be a signature member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society. Roy and Helen also traveled extensively in the U.S. and abroad, their trips around the world touching every continent except Antarctica. He is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.