Garth Jill Shepp, 83, of Amherst, MA, passed away peacefully in her home on May 5, 2023, surrounded by her children.

Garth was born on March 3, 1940 in New York, NY to Rachel Ruth Gilman and Edgar Cardoze. She was raised in Brookline, MA and later Newton by her mother and step-father, Fred Rosenwald along with her three sisters Erika, Merrick and Valerie. She is survived by her sisters, her children, Pavel, Accra, Anna and Dja-maa, and her cherished granddaughter, India.

Garth began her college studies at Goddard in Vermont, where she met her husband, Archie Shepp. In 1959 they moved to New York City where they spent the next thirteen years until they moved with their children to Amherst, MA.

Garth was a devoted mother who loved her children without reservation or judgement. She shepherded them through childhood and the bumpy road of adolescence into the weighty world of adulthood with wit, wisdom and kindness that imbued them with the appreciation of unconditional love.Multi-dimensional in spirit and mind, Garth expressed her love, keen intellect and creativity through all facets of her life. She was a dedicated friend, skilled weaver, avid reader, gardener, intrepid hiker and traveler and generous soul that would light up a room with her smile and spirit.

Her talents as an artist shone through brightly at all stages of her life. She was a gifted weaver and knitter, who made her first foray into the field in the 1980s, beginning as a student, then quickly becoming a contributing artisan and co-owner of Kin Cullen Knitting and Weaving at Thornes Market in Northampton, MA.

Outside of the shop and after it closed, Garth continued to build her skills and make enduring friends through her memberships in the Pioneer Valley Weavers Guild and the Weavers Guild of Western Massachusetts. She was a graduate of a four-year Master Weaver program of Hill Institute, took multiple classes at Vavstuga Weaving School in Shelburne Falls, and traveled to North Carolina to Penland School of Craft to take weaving courses. Her creativity and abilities led her to start her own eponymous business, Textiles by Garth J. that showcased her luxurious and joyful one-of-a-kind designs.

Garth took great pleasure in seeing art locally, particularly at the Smith College Art Museum, as well as Mass MoCA, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Asia Society in New York City, just to name a few of her favorites. She also took courses in Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Even when her health limited her life to home and she could no longer weave or venture outside easily, she continued to take joy in the arts, by going on virtual tours of special exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with her son, Accra, who is a fine art photographer and art historian.

Garth was a life-long learner and always prioritized education for her children, instilling in them a love of learning. So, when her youngest went to college she took the opportunity to go back to school, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from UMass in 1992.

Garth also had a passion for the outdoors, where she found inspiration both personally and artistically. She was a devoted gardener and a camping and hiking enthusiast, mostly with the Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Along with several friends, she aimed to visit and hike all the properties of The Trustees of Reservations. For a brief time, in her early days in Amherst, she raised goats, along with her dogs and cats. Although the goats were temporary, her gardening and landscaping prowess were an enduring achievement, for which she received many compliments on her skills from friends and passersby. Her yard was a marvel to behold, a beautiful study in contrast, complexity, subtlety and boldness that mirrored her to a tee.  

There are not enough words to describe Garth and how she touched the lives of those she loved and those who were lucky enough to know her. Up until the end, Garth never skipped a beat in offering us her unwavering spirit, sharp mind, incisive yet playful sense of humor, enduring interest in others, and heart-warming smile. She is missed beyond measure.

A memorial will be planned for a later date, to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of the Fisher Home (fisherhome.org).

Memorial Guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com