Eddie David Rainey's Obituary
Eddie David Rainey, 68, of Memphis, died peacefully after a brief illness on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
He was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan to David and Bernice Rainey.
His family had been in farming since the Civil War and he grew up in Newbern, Tennessee, raising cattle and crops on the family farm. He joined the National Guard after graduating from Dyer County High School. He attended the Memphis College of Art (formerly the Art Academy). Recounting his experience there, he would say, “The lard fell from my eyes.” While he grew as an artist, he cultivated many deep friendships with his professors and fellow students. He graduated with a B.A. in Sculpture.
Ed produced mixed-media drawings and was represented by the Damon Brandt Gallery in New York City, where he regularly had sell-out shows. His work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, Massachusetts. Chase Manhattan Bank, Exxon Corporation, PaineWebber Group, and other corporations have purchased his work. He was featured in Art in America, The New York Times and Interview magazine.
About his art, Ed would say, “The act of drawing not only solidifies thoughts and ideas, but also opens avenues of discovery through application and those unexpected happenings which make art art. The viewer is important to me. I like for there to be enough flash to call the viewer from the other side of the room, and then enough detail up close to give them something to ‘smell of.’” He was an instructor at the Flicker Street Studio and would advise his students to let the piece tell them what it needs. Along with his artwork, Ed pursued a long career in carpentry, applying his meticulous perfectionism to every project.
Ed had a passion for thoroughbred horse racing and visited tracks around the country. He always bet the longshot.
An enthusiastic gardener, his plant specimens won numerous ribbons at the Mid-South Fair. He enjoyed riding around in his black 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille or on his motorcycle. Ed was a grill master, and he liked his chicken well done. He was a kind, sensitive man who gently escorted unwanted bugs out of the house and always sent flowers to his mother on his birthday. A longtime baseball fan, he once threw out the first pitch at a Memphis Redbirds game. He was a member of the American Legion and First Presbyterian Church.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents.
He leaves his wife, Gloria C. White; sister Linda Lowrance; nephew Todd Lowrance (Jennifer); and great-niece Jenna Lowrance.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, August 5 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, with a
reception to follow.
Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church or Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery is in charge of arrangements, (901) 767-8930
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