In Memoriam: Terry Isaac

Penticton, BC – Terry Allen Isaac of Penticton, BC, died on July 16, 2019 at the age of 60. Terry Allen Isaac was born to Edward and Patricia Isaac in Salem, Oregon on September 24, 1958. Terry will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by his family and friends including his wife Kathleen, ex-wife Connie, mother Patricia Tomison (Vern), adopted father Jerry Rue (Mary-Anne), children Emily, Lucas, Daniel, and Evan, as well as his brother Ron (Victoria). He was sadly predeceased by his father Edward when Terry was only 2 years old.

Terry developed an interest in art at a very early age and wanted to be a cartoonist when he grew up. He was encouraged by his middle and high school teachers and was a 1976 graduate of McNary High School and 1980 graduate in secondary art education from Western Oregon University. His interests led him to surrealism and the art of Salvador Dali. He also started dabbling in the art of the natural world including painting birds. He taught middle school art at Judson for 7 years.

A clerk at the then local Soaring Wings Gallery suggested he enter annual wildlife art stamp competitions and he won the Washington State Warm-water Fish Stamp on one of his first tries. This gave him confidence and from there, he continued to enter duck & fish stamp art competitions on the state and federal level.

In 1987, he enrolled in a workshop with famed Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman in Wyoming when his high school art teacher asked if he would take her place due to circumstances that prevented her attending. He agreed and his career blossomed from there. Mr. Bateman recommended a major art publisher, Mill Pond Press in Florida, publish his wildlife art and this launched his career.

Terry became internationally known with his work sold and collected; from Christie’s Auction House in London, to a large bank in South Africa, to American Airlines in Dallas, to China. Locally, his work was featured on the Salem Art Fair and Festival annual poster and a poster benefiting the Oregon Garden.

Additionally, his work has been featured in magazines, including a cover of “Saturday Evening Post,” and was featured on a segment of OPB’s “Oregon Field Guide.”

He donated print proceeds to the National Institute of Health in support of breast cancer research in memory of his Aunt Millie.

He was in high demand to teach painting workshops all over the US. His book “Painting the Drama of Wildlife Step by Step” was published by North Light Books in 1998.

He also created the concept painting of the main character Aladar for Walt Disney Studios for a movie released in 2000 titled “Dinosaur.” With that experience, his early ambition of being a cartoonist came to fruition. He returned grateful that he could use his own creativity to paint what he wanted. It was a wonderful experience for him.

Terry was married to Connie Toland from 1980 until 2003 and their beloved daughter Emily was born in 1992. Later at a workshop in Penticton, BC, Canada, he met and married Kathleen Jagger. Two beloved sons were born from that union, Daniel and Evan and he also gained a step-son, Lucas Goulden.

Terry will be remembered for his artwork but also for his loving, generous, and giving spirit. He loved to write music and play guitar, “jamming” with friends.

Terry had much more to give the world. He died unexpectedly from a heart attack in Penticton on July 16th, 2019. The artist statement on his website includes these words: “When it is my time to leave this world, I wish to do so knowing that I have left paintings that inspire others to appreciate the true wonder and beauty of the natural world.”