The Cornish Suite

BY KATE JANEWAY, BUSINESS GROWTH CONSULTING, SEATTLE, WA
Howard and I are so sad. Tony has enriched our lives immeasurably. And he brought Linda and Simon into our lives creating a wider circle of love and friendship that has spanned decades and continents. We loved him very much.

We first met Tony when he came to direct at Intiman Theatre – a, then, struggling playhouse in Seattle. The economic challenges were acute in those days, and, as a result, actors and directors were housed in the homes of Board Members and friends of the theatre. We were lucky to have Tony join our household, for the first time, in the early 1980s. Our weeks together were so delightful and bonding that we renamed the rooms he occupied: The Cornish Suite.

There have been Cornish Suites in our homes ever since. In Cincinnati, where he visited frequently, much to the delight of our friends there, and back home in Seattle, in a different home, made even more “homey” by Tony’s occasional stays with us.

Our years in Cincinnati coincided with Simon’s around-the-world adventure. In the midst of an ambitious home remodel, Simon came to stay with us for a few days which happily turned into months as our contractor’s crew pressed him into service building walls and finish cabinetry which were works of art. (Simon, I saw Steve McCord two weeks ago in Cincinnati – he sends his love and word that the whole crew –except for you – are still together.) We managed to coincide with Simon again as his round-the-world travels recommenced and drifted westward, in Los Angeles and in Carmel California.

Since then we have followed Simon primarily through pictures of his beautiful work proudly shared with us by Tony on every visit to Seattle.

Linda is, of course, the heart of the family and the nucleus around which the men in her family spin, wildly. Tony brought her generously into our lives first through phone conversations, then through letters, and finally, in person, during several visits to London.

Through all of our years of friendship, Tony remembered birthdays and anniversaries –and never missed our son Robby’s birthday with some remembrance. It was always apparent that Simon and Linda were the center and the focus of his life, and that he honored the love in the families of his friends.

Our hearts and spirits are diminished by Tony’s passing. Linda and Simon – we are holding you in our hearts. With much love, Kate and Howard and Robby