Therese Elsie Gentry-Howell (affectionately known as “Bunny”), 71 years old, passed away on Saturday, November 6th, 2021, at Albany Medical Center, in the presence of loved ones.
Therese was born on August 1st, 1950, in Paris, France, to the late Herbert Alexander Gentry, (renowned African-American Abstract artist) and Dorothy (Tadea) Worfelmann (jazz singer & painter), where they lived until moving to the United States. Therese grew up in the East Village of New York City on 8th Street and 2nd Avenue.
Therese married Arthur Thomas (Jimmy) Howell in St. Matthews, SC, and had two daughters, Sharon Howell and Jackie Howell-Marthone. They lived many of their years in Masaryk Towers on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Therese was the 3rd oldest of 6 children; Ellyse Adele Vitiello, Alain Gentry, Stephan Gentry, Nicholas Gentry and Elsa Gentry-Kant. She was grandmother to Quentin Howell-Villanueva, Gabriele Marthone, Alexandra Howell-Choice, Gisele Marthone and Liam Marthone, and mother-in-law to Guy Marthone. She was aunt to Charlotte Gentry Petersens, Cynthia Vitiello, Malcolm Kant, Douglas Kant, and Alma Kant.
She loved a host of many other friends and family, and was sister-in-law to Joanne (Maggie) Bellamy, aunt to Renee, Pam (Sakina) and Leonardo (Sadiq) Bellamy, as well as a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and family members on her husband's side in St. Matthews, South Carolina. She also adopted the Jones family, Gail Jones as her goddaughter, Rebecca Jones-Morgan and Peter Jones as her children.
Therese studied Physical Anthropology and African Studies at City College in Harlem, NYC.
She worked in publishing for Random House for over 10 years in NYC in Production and Promotion Management. There, she was able to combine her love of books and reading with her creative, artistic background and style.
Therese was very motivated and technical, and taught herself computer programming languages, graphic design, and database creation, and was able to take her self-taught skills to many places including Citibank as a Data Analyst, and General Electric as a Technical Program Manager. She also developed creative marketing content for multiple institutes and organizations.
Therese was an adventurer and free-spirit. She was always exploring new places, and took residence in many areas around New York City such as Soho, Brooklyn, the West Village, Chelsea, Midtown, Harlem, and Battery Park City, as well as Upstate New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Therese traveled all over the world with her children to many places including multiple US states, Denmark, Sweden, France, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Brazil and Iceland. Therese instilled a love of travel in her children and grandchildren.
She eventually moved upstate to Loudonville, NY, where she purchased a house, and had the opportunity to live close and help raise her grandchildren.
She was a photographer, traveler, avid book reader, political activist, jewelry maker, inventor, researcher, health-food lover, and NBA basketball enthusiast.
Therese was such a loving, creative, and intellectual woman whose influence will continue to live on in the many lives she has touched.
A true rebel and a realist…
She would not want us to mourn…
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