Obituary: Jean Pilk
PALMYRA, Va. - Jean Pilk, who gave life to the concept of the Cool Mom, died peacefully at her home, surrounded ...
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Jean Pilk
PALMYRA, Va. – Jean Pilk, who gave life to the concept of the Cool Mom, died peacefully at her home, surrounded by her adoring family, in Palmyra, Va.
At 4-feet-10-inches tall and a whopping 79 pounds fully dressed, she was much like Dr. Who’s Tardis – inside the tiny container was a world of wonder and contradiction.
Born in Kansas City in 1924 (thank god she’s dead, she’d kill us for announcing her age), her mid-western roots stuck with her for her lifetime. She was impossibly sophisticated, her clothes were of the latest fashion and tailored perfectly to her tiny frame. Her shoes – size 4, so of course challenging to source – were Ferragamo and Chanel for dress and leopard print Chuck Taylor’s for her walkabouts. She read The Wall Street Journal and Vogue with equal enthusiasm, tore through mystery novels with the intensity of her favorite literary gumshoes and collected coffee table art books obsessively. She liked plain food, fancy clothes, and juicy gossip in equal measure.