On May 11th, Danvers resident and local artist Leona Santisi turned 100. She celebrated her birthday surrounded by her six children, 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She has been living at Brightview Living in Danvers since she moved in last year.
Although she lived much of her adult life in Danvers, Santisi was originally born on May 11th, 1925, in Peabody as the 9th of 11 children. Her father died when she was four and her mother worked as a seamstress during the Great Depression, earning very little money. Santisi graduated from Peabody High School in 1942, getting a job as a factory worker.
Following this, Santisi got married and moved to Danvers with her husband. She lived in a house on Berry Street for 35 years, then moved to a condo in Danvers.
Most recently, Santisi taught a portrait art class at the Danvers Senior Center in the early 2000’s where most of her art portfolio was created. Santisi’s students would bring in their grandchildren to draw portraits of them. Others brought in photos of their pets. In an article from the Salem News, Santisi said of the portraits, “I enjoy doing the animals more, but I don’t even like dogs.”
Santisi learned watercolor painting, pastels, calligraphy, and pencil and ink drawing from her evening art classes that she took when she had young children.
For years, Santisi painted signs for the Danvers Garden Club that posted flower names in colorful scripts. A couple of these paintings hang on the walls of her room at the Brightview Living.
While Santisi doesn’t draw as much as she used to, only drawing one portrait since moving to Brightview, she has tried an art class offered at the place. When asked by the Salem News about turning 100, Santisi said, “I don’t feel any different.”
