Obituary of Iola Lyttle Medd

Iola Lyttle Medd, a resident of the Edgehill Community at Palmer Hill Road in Stamford, died Sunday, January 29. Born in Bronxville, NY on September 23, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Carol Lyttle and Gertrude Lea Fearing.
 

After graduating from The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY, and Mt Vernon Junior College in Washington D.C., she worked as a freelance model. In 1952, she worked in the Public Relations office at TWA, then later as a secretary to the art editor of House and Garden Magazine. 

It was during this time that Iola met Charles Leighton Medd and they married in 1955. Shortly thereafter they moved to Asia where Charles worked as a foreign service officer. They spent two years in Thailand where their first child Carolyn was born. On their biannual leave, their son Chris was born in Bronxville, NY.  The family then spent over nine years in Japan, where their sons Michael and David were born.

Following many years of travel between the U.S. and Asia, Iola and Charles were divorced; Iola settled back in New York where she worked in the film industry. She eventually moved back to Japan for a number of years before settling in Stamford in 1993.

 

Upon retirement, Iola worked as an assistant to the pastor of Union Memorial Church in Stamford for several years. She published two books about her experiences in the Far East: "Last Frontier" (2001) and “Sunshine and Shadows" (2003). The books reflected her love and passion for Japanese and Thai culture and travel. They just scratched the surface, though, of her intellectual curiosity, knowledge of world history, and mischievous humor.  

 

She is survived by Carolyn Willet Howe (of Washington D.C.), John Christopher Medd (of Frederick, MD), Michael Lyttle Medd (of Stamford, CT), and David Lamar Medd (of Bedford Hills, NY), grandmother of eight, and great grandmother of two. 

 

A memorial service for family and friends will be held on April 29th 11 am - 1 pm at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center , Bendel Mansion, 39 Scofieldtown Rd, Stamford, CT). For further information please contact Mike Medd mikemedd@optonline.net or Dave Medd dmedd906@gmail.com.

 

In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (givenow.lls.org)