Phyllis Novins Cairns
Phyllis Novins Cairns, 82, of Ellington, N.Y., passed away the morning of May 31, 2021, while at the Lutheran Nursing Home. She died peacefully after a difficult year of isolation under COVID-19.
Born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 19, 1938, she was the only child of Roman and Nina Novins. After attending art school in LA, she moved to New York and worked as a graphic artist in the advertising business. It was there that she met and married her husband of over 50 years, Dana Cairns, who passed away in December 2014. They raised a family in Haworth N.J., lived the good life in Westport and Newtown, Conn., and retired to farm country in Ellington, N.Y. Her creative life included commercial graphic art, oil and watercolor paintings, rubber stamp art, and mixed media. In the 1960s, she redesigned Mr. Peanut into the iconic form that we recognize today.
She is survived by her daughters: Jenifer Manz and Katherine Stuart; son, Andrew Cairns; nephews: Nicholas and Jason Limansky; and granddaughter, Lily Foster.
As per her wishes, her body is being donated to medical research at the University at Buffalo.
Private memorial services will be held by family members.