Denise J. Brzoska

Born: 3/21/1945
Died: 7/12/2012

Noted artist and illustrator Denise J. Brzoska, age 67, of Wilmington, DE, passed away on Thursday, July 12, 2012.
Denise exhibited her artwork locally for over 30 years, in such venues as the Brandywine Arts Festival, Art on the Green in New Castle (she was proud to be one of the original participants), and the WSFS office in Newark. Her work also appeared at the Ligoa Duncan Gallery in New York City, where she represented Delaware in the gallery’s Salon of the 50 States. In September 1981, her work was part of an international exhibit at the World Trade Center in New York City. Her art is in private collections in the United States, Canada, England, Germany, Greece, Norway, and Turkey.
Denise was the illustrator for the children’s activities booklet for the first Delaware Tall Ships event held in 1976. She also had illustrations in numerous technical books and articles in physics journals and assisted in set design and construction for local theater companies, including the Brandywiners, the Wilmington Drama League, the Chapel Street Players, and the Delaware Children’s Theatre. In January 2004, Denise was the featured artist on the Tim Quall’s Show. Among her professional affiliations, she was a member of the Decorative Painters Society.
Her style is noted for its distinctive blend of realism and is punctuated by flatting the perspective to achieve a pleasant linear effect. In her pen and ink sketches, Denise employed a wash technique which gave a warm color and soft texture to offset the stark black lines. Her watercolors display a love of nature and animals.
Her favorite hobbies included horseback riding and sailing.
A native Delawarean, Denise was born in Wilmington on March 21, 1945, daughter of the late Eugene Joseph Brzoska, Sr. and Marie J. Durr Brzoska. She was employed for many years as a technical secretary in the physics department at the University of Delaware. She later accepted a position as a paralegal for the Wilmington Trust Company, where she retired after 18 years.
She is survived by her siblings, Beverly Cahall (Lawrence) of Bear, Bonnie Gies (William) of Bear, Eugene Brzoska, Jr. of St. Georges, and Wayne Brzoska (Deborah) of Rehoboth Beach; nieces, Alexis and Andrea; and longtime neighbors and friends, Bernadette and Tyler Morgan of Newark, and Jennifer Mellott of New Castle.
Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 am on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at St. Matthew’s R.C. Church, 901 E. Newport Pike, Woodcrest, Wilmington, where visitation will begin at 10 am. Interment will follow in Gracelawn Memorial Park, 2220 N. DuPont Parkway, New Castle.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Heartland Hospice House, 5661 Ochletree Lane, Wilmington, DE 19808.